


Sensual Insanity

by CinfulWriter32



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Do Not Take Seriously, F/M, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Humor, Interspecies Awkwardness, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Mary Sue, POV Alternating, POV First Person, Voice Kink, dance kink, drellxhuman, have a healthy sense of suspended disbelief, may be some citrus in the future, read this with a sense of humor, some drama, turianxhuman, writing this for fun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-03-27 01:28:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 75,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13870167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CinfulWriter32/pseuds/CinfulWriter32
Summary: "Hm... This plate must not be calibrated to someone of your... generousness. I'll add a few zeros to the maximum weight. You look great by the way. Very... healthy..." Happens during ME2 -be warned of mary sue tendencies, full warning in prologue-





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: This is not meant to be taken seriously. This is a shameless mary sue/self insert. I'm warning you now so those of you who detest such things can stay clear away.  
> Those who are interested to see how this goes, good luck to you. I'm sure characters will be OOC, I'm sure things will not be according to your personal taste. That is why I have this warning. If you cannot suspend your disbelief to enjoy some humorous, mary-sue fluff: Don't read. This is catered toward the folks who have an unexplained craving of reading such things. Like myself. :)  
> I had posted this story originally on ff and decided to dip my toes here- especially since mature content is not as restriced. :)

Sensual Insanity

_Prologue_

_November 10, 2014_

"Are you sure you wish to do this Mrs. Shepard?"

"It's Miss Moreno now."

"Oh... I am sorry."

With a slightly trembling hand, I signed the contact with a flourish and threw the pen aside. My signature remained in fresh black ink, an almost illegible scrawl, on the stark white printer paper. The fine print of the contract I had just signed remained in my mind's eye, poking and prodding me with all the "what if"'s of what my life could have had. I was signing my life away...

Yet, my life was already over.

Cancer of the aggressive kind had a hell a way of making you take things into perspective.

I let loose a heavy breath as I sat back against the stiff chair I was in. I looked at the woman who sat behind the desk across from me. Her gaze was sympathetic as she reached out and pulled the papers toward her. "It is done then. Your family will be given full financial compensation on the day of your death. They will not be burdened."

A muscle ticked in my jaw but that was the only reaction that I gave as I nodded, the tears threatening to break though. My parents, my sister, my brother, and my nephews and niece, would be all right. It would be for the best. My husband- my ex-husband... He was free from the burden of having to care for me. I hoped he would find another and grow the family he deserved...

"We appreciate and value your business Ms. Moreno... and... I _am_ truly sorry," said the woman as she took the contract and placed it within a file among a stack of others. "I promise that we will treat your body with the utmost respect. Any positive results that will further our research will be worthwhile."

"It won't matter to me much longer Mrs. Lawson," I said as glanced down at my clasped hands. "Yet, if it will help increase the chances for the survival of others who are or will get sick... It will mean something to future generations."

I could hear a creak in the woman's chair and I looked up to see her leaning forward, her eyes studying my face. "Estella, you are a brave woman. Not many would be so willing to give all that they are for the good of science and medicine."

"It is all I can do at this point," I said in reply as I looked away. "Whatever you do with me, I won't be alive to care." I stood up and reached out my hand to her. "Thank you for taking care of my family... Amanda."

The woman named Amanda Lawson gave a sad smile as she stood up as well and took my hand in hers, giving it firm shake. "It is my pleasure Estella. I hope that you enjoy the time you have left."

-o-

September 28, 2015

_The sound of laughter bubbles up all around._

" _This is our time! For me? A year before I get shipped out to hell! For you? A year or more before you get shipped out to heaven! Woo! I still think you got the better end of the deal."_

_More laughter, the sight of long auburn hair swaying and a bright smile bringing such joy._

" _El, no matter what happened between you and my brother. You are still my sister..."_

_Music pumping loud and clear._

_Strobe lights flickering on and off._

_Lasers light shows._

_The smell of sweaty bodies and the sight of them bumping and grinding against one another._

_Dancing and liquor._

" _Alice, I don't think I can bend that way."_

" _Estella Moreno! You get your big breasts and your big ass down here and get on this dance floor! You ain't dead yet! Be alive tonight!"_

_Swaying motion, laughter, so much fun..._

_Black out._

_Nothing._

_More swaying though at rest._

" _Don' w'ry El... Slip it 'ff... Got a desig- designater... A sober driver. Get us home..."_

_Warm arms... Warm hug... Safe..._

" _Lov' ya girl... My sis forever..."_

_The sound of squealing tires._

_Screams._

_Pain._

_Blackness._

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up in a hospital is nothing new... Yet, this isn't like any hospital I've seen...

Chapter 1

Muffled voices were coming through, the sound of a monitor giving off a repetitive beeping sound bringing forth a feeling of annoyance.

"Alice..." My voice came out in a croak and I groaned, my head feeling as if it had been slammed between two concrete blocks. "No... tequila..."

"She's waking up." A somewhat deep voice spoke somewhere off to my left and I turned my head slightly in the direction of where it came from. My eyes felt as if they were crusted with days of sleep and they refused to open.

"How are her vitals? Any signs of a relapse?" asked another voice, a female this time around. She sounded somewhat familiar to me; the voice had an Australian accent to it. I had heard it before somewhere...

"Going strong. I think this one might make it."

A sigh of relief sounded to my right and I turned my head in the direction of the sound, still trying to open my eyes to see where I was and who it was that was beside me. "Wha...?"

"Ms. Moreno, can you hear me?"

I let out a small whimper as I felt a warm hand grab mine. My joints felt stiff and there was pain. So much pain. "Relax, Ms. Moreno. We're going to give you a sedative. You're doing very well."

I heard the monitor continuing in its strong beeping and then heard another louder beep before I felt something in my left wrist twitch. Already I could feel myself drifting off as the hand that held mine gave a gentle squeeze and I heard a whisper against my ear. "Be strong. You need to survive this... Prove me right..."

I knew I had said something in response to the voice but I couldn't be sure what. The darkness was taking me back into its sweet embrace.

-o-

The first thing I was aware of in my wakening thoughts was the feel of very stiff cloth surrounding me. Bed sheets... A hospital bed?

A groan was the first thing to emerge from my mouth as I started to move my body. Various places felt stiff. My arms, my legs, my neck, even my fingers and toes. They felt as if they hadn't been moved in such a long time... What the hell happened?

"Ms. Moreno?"

It was that voice again, that woman with the accent. Where had I heard it before? I struggled to open my eyes and was relieved to find my lids responding this time. They felt clean and clear of crust and my lashes fluttered a few times before a fierce fluorescent light from above greeted my sensitive vision. I winced and moved my arm, holding a hand above my eyes to block the light. It took a moment for my sight to adjust to the light and I slowly moved my hand down, my eyes catching sight of a very beautiful woman looking down at me.

She was of Caucasian descent with thick dark hair that was styled loosely and ended about her shoulders. Her eyes were bright and alert, a lovely shade of blue. I knew her. I had met her before but seeing her now seemed strange. She looked younger than I remembered.

"Amanda?"

The look on her was one of recognition but there was shock and sadness there. As if she had not been expecting me to say such a thing. The woman shook her head as she went to take a seat in a chair beside my bed and offered a kind smile. "Er... No. Ms. Moreno, my name is Miranda Lawson."

"Oh," was all I could say in reply as I tried to sit up but struggled, my joints were so stiff. "Sorry. You look so much like her. Are you her younger sister or... her daughter?"

Miranda gave a soft noise that sounded suspiciously like a sob. "L-let me help you," she said as she moved out of her chair to help me sit up.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." She moved away from me and sat back down in her chair. "In answer to your question, no. However, I am a member of her family."

"I thought so," I said, lightly rubbing my left wrist as I tried to get the stiffness out. "You resemble her, especially in the eyes. Amanda was always concerned about me. More so than she needed to be..." I smiled a little as I thought back on the last time I had seen her. She had always been so insistent on visiting me when I had one of my attacks. "I guess there was a chance she would be too busy to see me herself for once. Oh goddess, my bones hurt..." I continued to rub my wrist as I looked at Miranda. "How is Amanda?"

Miranda's face took on a somewhat hesitant look as she shifted lightly in her chair. "I-Er- Hm..." She shifted again as her gaze settled on everything but me. She looked nervous. "Before I answer that, I need to know Ms. Moreno-"

"Estella," I interrupted, giving a small smile as she glanced at me. "Or El, as my family and friends like to call me. Amanda is one of my closest friends. If she sent you here in her place that means she trusts you. So, please, drop the formalities."

Miranda stared at me for a moment before she gave a nod in consent. "Very well... Estella," she continued, "Do you know where you are?"

"Hospital," I said in reply as I glanced around the room, taking in the sight of the very sterile white walls and gray floors. There were no windows in this room and my bed was one of a few pieces of furniture. It was nothing like any hospital I had been to but hospitals were always modernizing. "I must've had another attack..."

"Attack?" Miranda tilted her head slightly, a look of confusion touching her very beautiful features.

"I'm-" I let out a breath as I shook my head, reaching out to rub the stiffness in my left shoulder. "I have a very aggressive case of ovarian cancer. I'm in the latter stages. Sometimes the pain can get to be too much. Amanda is always having someone with me if it happens. I don't know why she cares so much..." I frowned and looked at her. "I'm surprised you don't know. Didn't she tell you?"

"Not directly," said Miranda, studying me with interest. There was a moment of silence between us before she shifted again and crossed her legs. "Ms- um... Estella, what do you remember last?"

The question seemed a bit off but it wasn't unusual. Amanda asked it often enough when I had passed out and awoke to find myself in a hospital bed. The last moments were always fuzzy but it helped to determine my mental stability. I looked down at my hands; the caramel flesh looked so dark against the stark white of the bed sheet that covered me. I was dressed, though what I was dressed in was hard to tell. It was a black and white skin tight affair with a strange symbol on the left beast. It looked like a diamond with open ends toward the bottom part. It was paralleled by two other lines outside of it. The design was very angular, very modern. I could not recall a hospital that had such an outfit with such a symbol but it was comfortable.

"I was out with a friend," I began, my gaze turning away from my outfit and frowned as I tried to recall the last moments before I had blacked out. "No... My best friend... and my former sister-in-law- though we still think of each other as sisters." I closed my eyes, the memory of that night starting to come back in bits and pieces. "Alice Marie Shepard, if you need to verify with her. We went out for drinks and dancing. To celebrate that one moment in life in which we were nothing more than two women, single and free." I smiled, the memories coming on stronger. "We had so much fun. I love that girl to bits. She's getting deployed to Syria next year and has to head out for boot camp in another week. She was going to be gone for who knew how long and I was going to die in who knew how long..." I opened my eyes as I swallowed at the tightness in my throat. The memories were coming back stronger now.

_You ain't dead yet! Be alive tonight!_

"We drank too much but we had a blast," I said with a laugh, remembering Alice's awful dance moves. She never could hold a rhythm despite my attempts at trying to teach her. But it never stopped her from enjoying herself. She just simply laughed right along with me. "The last thing I remember is getting into a car with Alice. She had hired a driver to take us around. We were both hammered and heading home." I could feel the tension as I tried to recall what had happened but there were only bits and pieces again. The rest was blank spots, thanks to the alcohol. Or the cancer. "There was screaming... I had blacked out..."

I placed a hand to my forehead, trying to think on what had happened. "Squealing tires... An accident?" I looked at Miranda and shook my head. "Did we get in a car accident?" The panic began to rise as I studied the other woman, truly looked at her, and noticed that her clothing was unlike any style I had ever seen. "Was Alice hurt? Is she OK?" I could see the hesitance in Miranda's eyes and I leaned toward her, trying to get her to look at me. "Miranda, please tell me my sister is all right. I don't care about myself. I'm dying anyway. But if Alice got hurt... You have to tell me!"

Miranda reached out and took my hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze while her blue eyes studied mine. "Relax. She had made it out. She was all right."

I let out the breath I had held but my relief was short-lived. I had caught the past tense. I pulled my hand from hers and struggled to sit up straighter. "What do you mean _was_?" The frown on my face grew as she straightened and clasped her hands in her lap.

"Estella, the accident had happened _quite_ some time ago."

"Would you care to elaborate?" I asked in turn, my worry beginning to rise. "Exactly how long? A week? A month?" I was beginning to get scared. Had I been in a coma for that long? How much time had passed?

"That accident took place in September of 2015." Miranda studied me as she took in breath and shifted slightly in her chair to move closer to me. "That was nearly 169 _years_ ago..."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to do some cleaning up as I post each chapter, fix some spelling and grammatical errors as I go along. If you spot anything I missed, let me know!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This can't be real... This can't be happening... 169 years have passed?

Chapter 2

_169 years..._

I still couldn't wrap my head around that number.

169 years had passed since the accident that took my life? It wasn't the cancer. Oh no. Goddess no... The universe had a perverse sense of humor and my life had been taken by a drunk driver instead. What the hell...

Miranda had gone on to explain exactly what had happened to me. I listened with clinical indifference. All that she said held little weight for me. I guess the shock had taken over my system.

She _was_ a member of the Lawson family but not as close of a member as I had originally thought. She was actually the great, great, _great_ granddaughter of my close friend. Amanda had been shocked by my sudden death but had proceeded with what we had agreed upon on our contract. What was left of my mangled corpse had been used in research in finding ways of preventing and curing cancer from genetic causes. I and several others had been the key to finding the cure to treating various cancers of breast, ovarian and cervical strains. Many had survived thanks to Amanda's relentless work. She had always been so diligent in her research and kept records of everything.

It seemed that Amanda had not been so keen to let me go. She had grown attached to me and had placed my body in cryogenic stasis immediately following my death to prevent deterioration. Hell, she had been rich enough; she had access to the technology and facilities. She had been adamant in keeping my body in the best state of preservation for future research but mainly for one specific purpose. Namely, the chance of finding a way of bringing someone back to life.

She had wanted to give me a second chance at life. After all, the universe had dealt me such a terrible hand to play with the first time around.

Amanda had not lived to see any results of such a task but her family had continued in the research and the experiments. 169 years later her descendant, Miranda Lawson, was the one to find a way to reanimate me. I was but one experiment that was a part of a larger, _much_ larger, project that she was the head of. What that was, she did not tell me as of yet. However, she did tell me that I was the first successful experiment to survive and they were going to use what they learned from me into practice for this larger project.

I was still reeling over the fact that not only was I alive but in a time I had never even imagined of.

_I was 200 years old..._

How in the hell had I been preserved for so long? How had they found a way to reanimate me?

It felt like a dream to me...

-o-

I had not believed Miranda. At least not at first.

It was very easy to be pulled along for a fool and I was never one to take things at face value.

It wasn't until she had taken me out of my room, after I had put on some matching boots to my outfit, that I realized she may have spoken the truth.

The technology was nothing like what I had remembered. Everything was so... modernized. So _alien_. She had taken me down several corridors; some of the doors that we passed would open on their own, sliding open in separate sections before a staff member would emerge. We had also passed a few men and women walking in the opposite direction in a corridor, all dressed in same black and white skin-tight suits as my own. They seemed to be the standard issue for the staff here, though that did not explain why I was also wearing it. I also couldn't help but notice how very healthy they all were. Fit and trim, not an ounce of fat to be seen. They looked to be more military or something like it. I felt more out-of-place than before. I was anything but trim and the skin-tight outfit left little to the imagination.

I could feel the blush in my cheeks when one man who passed us did a double take and looked back at me or, more pointedly, my breasts. Now, Miranda was a very beautiful woman, fit as a fiddle, with perky breasts that weren't well hidden by her own tight outfit. She was also taller than me so her form was much more pleasing to the eye. I was shorter and a thicker woman by default, meaning that my breasts were a tad larger than hers. Take the skin-tight outfit I was wearing and you got to see things that I did not feel comfortable having on display.

I crossed my arms across my breasts, trying to hide them from view, as I hurried after Miranda with unsure steps. I had no idea where she was leading me but at this point I did not question her. Seeing all the people with all of this strange technology, (What the hell were those glowing orange things around their left forearms and hands?) she was the only one I could trust to lead me at this point.

Miranda stopped before another door and the same orange glow on her left hand emerged as she used her right to type a few things on what looked like a holographic keyboard of some kind. "What is that?" I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.

She looked at me, a slight look of surprise touching her features, before understanding appeared. "My apologies. I hadn't warned you about all you would see." She looked at the orange hologram around her left hand. "This is called an Omni-tool. It's standard issued for nearly every being in the galaxy. You wouldn't go very far without one."

"Being? Galaxy?" I could feel myself growing faint at the thought of it. "You mean... aliens? We found other intelligent life?"

She looked at me again and the understanding in her eyes was tinged slightly with surprise. "Why... yes. Of course, they had not been known in your time. I was aware of that but I didn't think of it in the hurry..." She trailed off at that and looked at the door as it swished open. "I'll be sure to get you updated on the state of affairs of humanity, of Earth, our history, after this." She beckoned me to follow her and I did after a moment of trying to gather my thoughts.

_We discovered other life..._

I followed Miranda into an empty room, save for a few desks and chairs that faced the right wall and had a large glass window that spanned the length of the left wall. It gave a view that looked down into another brighter room. She walked toward the window and looked down, her arms folding beneath her breasts. I followed her and stopped beside her, my arms dropping from hiding my own. Down below in that room, there appeared to be an operation going on. There were several robotic arms working diligently over a single person on a gurney, a woman from the looks of it. She had auburn hair that was cropped short and, though I could see little of the face thanks to an oxygen mask, there was something familiar about that person.

"Alice?" I asked after a moment and turned my gaze toward Miranda. "Is that Alice Shepard?" For a second, I felt a wild hope within me. A hope that I was not the only one who had been frozen only to wake up in this strange new reality. However, that hope was dashed the moment the taller woman looked at me. The look on her face was one of surprise.

"Alice Shepard? No, this is Commander Jane Shepard of the Alliance Navy." A thoughtful frown touched her face as she looked back at the woman who looked so much like my best friend. "This is Alice's descendant, a several times great-niece. Another brave woman of the Shepard line who served her people to the best of her ability." Silence fell between us, a heavy silence that had me feeling a dull ache in my heart. Miranda cast her gaze my way and I looked away to stare down at the woman resembled my best friend, my sister, from a life now gone by.

"It's almost unbelievable," she began to say though I did not look at her. "You were the only one who managed to survive the reanimation process. The nine others before you..." She trailed off at that before she turned and I could hear her footsteps walking off. She sounded as if she had begun to pace. " _You_ had survived. You remember so much of your earlier life, especially the people. It's so much more than I could have ever hoped for." I heard her pause in her steps and this time I looked at her, the frown on my face telling. She saw the look on my face and a small smile touched her beautiful features. "I'm just in awe. My genes and that of Shepard's... Our family still runs so strongly within us that you see our ancestors in our faces. Women who were friends of yours. I had hoped but I did not truly think you would keep your memories. You had been killed 169 years ago and frozen for much of that time. Who knew what would have happened?"

"I had survived, the goddess willing, but for what? Amanda wished this for me. Why did you see it through? You had picked me for a reason. I doubt it was simply to keep a promise and uphold the family honor." Shock, it had to be shock. Whenever I was faced with something beyond my comfort level, I always took on a distant façade. This was no different. I knew the shock would later to give way to grief. Right now though, I needed to be clinical. It was the only way to get answers.

Miranda began to twiddle with her fingers, the white-gloved digits folding over one another. She looked nervous, which was something I had not been expecting. "You are right. I had chosen you for this project for a purpose. Not only for the promise that our family swore to uphold to Amanda Lawson but the hope that you would survive."

"Is that why nine others had failed before me? You wanted to be sure of your techniques and hoped that I would survive?"

Guilt touched her features but she did nod. "I wanted to perfect the techniques before we had tried it on you. Each failed experiment brought more knowledge and experience. This had never been done before and we could not allow the chance for Shepard not to survive. Humanity needs her at this critical time. You helped in bringing us closer to that goal. You are the key to figuring out _exactly_ what we need to do. Now, the Lazarus Project will continue with full force." She looked away, her face taking on a thoughtful look. "It took over a year and a half of experimenting with others who were placed under cryogenic stasis, the kind that meant freezing the body to sub-zero temperatures with nitrogen. We had picked ten candidates from various facilities from the early to mid-21st century who had gone through this process. You were the tenth, selected personally by me once I had finally found you." She began to pace again, her nerves getting the best of her. "I knew who you were. I knew you were important to my family. Unlike my father, I had looked _deeply_ into my origins, into the very history of the Lawson family. I had researched every archive and every record we had, taking in all that I could. All of that research and I had found you by accident, buried beneath piles and piles of lost archives. The anomaly." She paused and looked at me. "You were the unofficial daughter of Amanda Lawson. She had all but adopted you into the family to make sure you would not be lost. I don't know what you had done to impress her but she had remembered you. She had done all that she could to make sure that the family would not forget you nor of the promise she had made every succeeding generation acknowledge when they came to control the company. It was in each will drafted from each passing head of family, the promise to bring you back to life. The records had been old but still available if one dug deep enough."

I ignored that inquiry. That was a bit too personal and it was something that she did not need to know at this time. My relationship with Amanda was of no immediate concern to hers. "That doesn't explain why you had picked me to be reanimated. I was an old forgotten relic. Best left in the dust. Why would you choose now to make me a part of this project?"

Miranda gave a nod and turned to walk toward me, stopping right beside me. Her blue eyes were taking on a vulnerability I had not expected to see. Something told me this was a side to her no one ever got to see. "My family had lost its vision. The dynasty that Amanda Lawson had created with her pharmaceuticals corporation had given rise to a descendant who could care less for the greater good of the people. I am not like my father. I do not want the name of Lawson to be remembered as greedy and self-righteous assholes despite how I may personally be. Amanda was the one who started the family success with dignity. I want to turn my family back toward that direction. I want to look at myself and know I had done all that I could to make things right again. No one alive today would have even the faintest idea of what Amanda Lawson would have wanted done. Save for you." She took in a breath to calm her nerves. "Amanda had hoped that one of her descendants would find a way to bring you back, to give you a second chance. Her records were clear in this fact. I had hoped to make that happen. The Lazarus Project was the perfect chance for that. You have no idea how relieved I am to see you here alive."

"So you had brought me back to life to give you advice on what I think Amanda would have wanted?" I asked, my voice taking on an incredulous tone.

"More or less," she admitted, "However, I mainly wanted to give you that second chance. Now that you are here... Well, I had hoped that you would be willing to help me but other more important matters have taken precedence. In the meantime, you need not worry for anything. You are officially under my employment, or rather Cerberus'. You will be taken care of and will be brought up to speed on all that has happened. I will be the one to oversee your education into this new life. Any questions you may have, please feel free to ask me."

My heartbeat had begun to rise, my anger rising with it from the sheer audacity of this woman before me. I wanted to hate her so much, to hate her for bringing me back from death. I had been nothing more than part of an experiment that had gone right. I was serving no other purpose aside from showing that they could bring someone back. A selfish notion to play creator...

However, I did not have the energy. I suddenly felt very tired and wanted nothing more to lie down and fall back into the sweet embrace of nothingness.

"I... would like to go back to my room..." was all I said in response. My shoulders were slumping and I could feel myself growing weaker by the moment. Too much, too soon...

"Estella?" Her voice sounded distant and I felt her hands gripping my upper arms, trying to keep me upright. A moment passed and I felt her firm grip as she struggled to move me down to the floor before she checked my pulse. It must have been bad because she was practically yelling. "I need medical assistance now! Experiment 10’s vitals are failing!"

I closed my eyes, surrendering to the blackness with a sigh of relief.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone I had ever known is gone now. I have nothing and no one left... except for you. ...All right... I'll help.

Chapter 3

"Estella? Can you hear me?"

I groaned at the familiar sound of Miranda's voice, my first conscious thought being that I hated fainting spells. They had happened often enough before the accident. It was something I was hoping not to experience again. "What happened?"

"You had gone into shock. I am sorry. Apparently all of that information, seeing all that you had, was too much for your body to handle. Don't worry. We are monitoring your vitals and everything is showing healthy and strong. I promise to be more careful with you from now on."

"Leave me alone..."

I could not believe it. I heard her laughing before the laughter gave way to soft sob. "I'm afraid I can't do that. You are a personal investment. I like to see my investments succeed."

I struggled to open my eyes and found myself back in the familiar settings of my room. Miranda was sitting in the chair to my left as before, though this time she was looking considerably worried. To my right, I could hear a machine keeping track of my vitals. That incessant beeping was grating on my nerves.

"Why would you be so invested in a dead woman?" I looked at her, the sound of the beeping monitor matching with the pulse of my heart. "The only thing I could offer you is nostalgic tales of days gone by. My friends are dead. My family is dead. Everyone and everything I had ever known is long gone. The only thing I still carry with me is that damned cancer and who knows how long before it kills me off for good as it was meant to."

Miranda's gaze held mine as she gently shook her head. "No Estella. That is the one thing I can guarantee is also gone for good. Any trace of cancerous cells you had within you had been eradicated before you even showed signs of life. We needed you at your best health to increase your chances of survival. There may be some new parts but you are healthier than any human from your time. I dare say you may live longer than any of them thanks to your implants."

I closed my eyes and shook my head. "Great. Terrific," I said, ignoring the latter part of her comment. I didn't want to think of whatever implants she spoke of.

I felt a hand close over mine and I opened my eyes to look at the other woman. She was leaning in close and her blue eyes were showing desperation I had seen in only the people who were on their last leg. "Please... I know this is too much to take in. I know you must be feeling scared and alone. I just... I have no one else to turn to. I have no one else I can _truly_ trust. I need your help. Amanda Lawson saw something in you. Something worthwhile. I want to believe in that. I need something else- _someone else -_ to believe in."

I stared at the woman before me. To see the desperation in her eyes, the pure emotion. She was a woman at her wit's end and she was looking for a way out of whatever crap she had found herself in. My traitorous heart. It always had a weakness...

I took in a breath, knowing that I was in a situation that was beyond me. I was in a place in a time with a person I had no choice but to trust. Now that I was alive and aware, I did not want to lose this second chance that had been given to me. Amanda had wanted this for me. I was going to honor that, in respect of her.

"I don't know what I can do to help you. I can't even fathom what I could do to even be an asset but... you brought me back..."

The resignation in my voice could be heard and a small smile touched her beautiful features. I was resigning myself to this situation. I was going to learn all that I could and gain any skills that I could until I could stand on my own. I was quite adept at surviving a situation when it called for it. It ran strong in my family. My mother had been that way. A single mother of three at the age of 24, making her way in the world after finally breaking free of the abusive relationship she had been in with the man who I called my sperm donor. She had survived and raised three children on her own before meeting the man who I would call my father. The only man who had loved her and her children enough despite it all...

She had raised me to be strong. To face whatever life threw at you with bravery and hope. There was always a light at the end of the darkness, even if it was just a flicker.

Miranda Lawson was that flicker for me at this time. No matter what this new life brought me, I would have to do all I could to make sure this flickering light did not go out. In fact, I hoped I would be able to make it stronger and, perhaps in time, I may find brighter ones to join it.

-o-

"I read that you were a Registered Nurse in your time."

Miranda and I were sitting at a table that looked to be the mess hall for the station. It had been 24 hours since my fainting spell and I was feeling more at ease with my current situation. Miranda felt it was all right for me to leave my room and take a tour of the Lazarus Research Station that we were now on. It still boggled my mind that I was in a space station in the middle of nowhere. The large, thick windows in the mess hall confirmed what my mind was just beginning to process. I had an excellent view of a distant star that was closest to the space station and, beyond that, the millions of others like it. I was in space... Holy hell...

"Yes, but my real role was as a surgical nurse," I said in reply to Miranda's comment, tearing my gaze away from the windows. She smiled at me, understanding in her gray eyes. "I had worked under a doctor who was brilliant. His percentile of successful recoveries from high risk surgeries had been very high itself during my tenure under him. I had quit after I had found out about my own sickness..."

Miranda listened to me as I went on to tell her of my life before the cancer. Of my husband, my house, my two dogs and the hope of one day being a mother. How all of that was dashed the moment I found out of my sickness. I couldn't tell her more. The emotions were still so fresh and I couldn't stop the gasping sobs as I dug the heels of my palms into my eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay. I had thought I had gotten over this...

I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders and I dropped my hands away from my eyes to see that Miranda had taken the seat next to me. She was offering her comfort though she looked uncomfortable herself. I couldn't help but compare her to Amanda at that moment. The laugh bubbled out of me before I could stop it and I gave her a watery smile. "It's little things like that I will have to get used to. You resemble Amanda but it's going to be the little actions you do that will truly throw me off."

"What do you mean?"

"Amanda was a caring woman. She cared about her family, her friends, and the perfect strangers under her care. You don't know me and yet you offer me comfort." I let out a giggle and shook my head. "It's just nice to see that some traits had been inherited."

She seemed surprised by that comment and I could see the tears in her eyes before she tried to blink them away. "Well- you-," she cleared her throat and released her hold on me. "I think we should get you started on your education," she said, trying to get back to business. "You have a lot to learn but I think your experience in the medical field will be an asset. What would you feel about earning your place back into a nurse's position? We should look into giving you some combat training as well. With an imminent war on the way, Shepard and her team will need all the help they can get."

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "You mean you need to find a use for me as one of your investments. From what you had told me so far, your employer had spared no cost in getting this project to succeed. Since I am one of those successes, you need to put that money invested to good use." I could see it from a business standpoint though from an emotional standpoint I felt like piece of property. In essence, I pretty much was. I kept my emotions separate though and retained that clinical façade that had served me so well in my last days before the accident. "I'll be willing to learn all I can and do what I can to earn my way. I owe you that as much."

Miranda caught the meaning in my words and she turned in her chair to face me properly. "Listen to me Estella. Do not think you will ever be held against your will. If you decide to walk away now, I will not stop you. You have no attachment to me or to this project. Hell, you have no need to even help in this war. I will make sure you have what you need and you will be free."

I was touched, I could honestly say that. I could see the sincerity in her eyes. This was something she felt fiercely about, something from personal experience. If she was in something that she was trying to be free of, I could not let the descendant of one of my closest friends be hurt. Hell, I could not walk away from even Shepard. She was the descendant of my sister-in-law...

Of my ex-husband...

I held that obligation to them to take care of family. It had still been a shock to see the family line when Miranda had shown me earlier but there it was in holographic brilliance. Hers and Shepard's. What a small world. Or galaxy in this case.

"I'm not going anywhere," I said as I reached out to take her hand in mine. "Family sticks together. You and Shepard would be the only family I have left now. I will do what I have to help you both."

Miranda let out a small laugh as she gave my hand a squeeze. "We're not the only family you have left. There's someone a little closer to home."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have a nephew? Thank the goddess for family.

Chapter 4

I couldn't calm the anxiety I was feeling.

I was bouncing on the balls of my booted feet; my eyes were darting around at every sound of an opening door. I was sure I was annoying my benefactor. However, Miranda was the epitome of serenity and she simply smiled as she waited beside me in the main corridor that led to the docking bay of the station. I supposed she could tell that I was excited and wanted so badly to see the only blood relative I had within reach to me.

I couldn't help the way I felt.

A couple of weeks had passed since that talk in the mess hall and Miranda had advised me on the whereabouts of my family member. I was ecstatic beyond all reason the moment she had told me that he had accepted an invitation to meet us. This was a direct descendant of my baby brother. A many times great-nephew. I had remembered my niece before I had died and she had only been five at the time. The fact that she had grown up and had children of her own and those children had children...

169 years was a very long time by human standards to make a bloodline and there were many causes for those blood lines to go extinct. Mine had survived and I was eager to meet my direct next of kin.

Of course, I was not sure how I could explain why I was so happy to see him, why I was so emotional. He wouldn't know me from Eve. All he would see was some random woman, looking at him as if he were the sun, moon, and stars. The goddess help me...

"Here they are," said Miranda as she turned toward the doors that led to the docking bay. "I would suggest refraining from trying to hug him just yet. No matter what your emotions tell you." She had said this with a smile, knowing full well my emotions would get the better of me at some point during this meeting.

The doors had slid open and an older woman was walking toward us. She was handsome for a woman her age, looking to be no more than in her early to mid-fifties. Her hair, mostly silver though some brown could be seen, was cropped short just below her ears. Behind her, a much younger man - who looked to be around my age - was limping along though he was keeping up with the woman's strides. His head was cast down, the brim of his cap obscuring his face from view. He was looking as if he were watching every step he took. I couldn't see his face but just from the body frame I could tell right away that this was _him_.

"Dr. Chakwas, thank you for responding to our request," said Miranda, a diplomatic but welcome smile on her face.

The woman named Dr. Chakwas had taken Miranda's offered hand and shook it firmly. "Thank you for asking kindly. When you had informed me of what Cerberus had done and was planning to do, you knew I would not hesitate to see for myself."

"Will you consider joining us then?"

Dr. Chakwas glanced at me before turning her gaze back to Miranda. "Only for the sake of Commander Shepard. Do not think that I agree with what Cerberus has done so far."

"And your helmsman?" asked Miranda, casting her blue eyes my way as the smile on her face grew. She could see the excitement within me and I could tell she was enjoying this. Stalling the inevitable.

I'll get her for this later...

"Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau is willing and able," said the doctor as she looked at her companion. "Don't let his ailment fool you. I'm sure you have seen his records for yourself."

Miranda gave a nod. "Yes, quite. That was why we had requested him for the job. We had hoped he would consider taking it. "

"Ailment?" My voice had found itself then and the worry began as I looked at Jeff Moreau. "Is it really that bad?" All eyes fell upon me, including the man's. He had looked up at the sound of my voice and the moment those hazel-green eyes fell upon me, my breath was stolen. My baby brother's eyes were looking right at me... My niece's...

"Like you don't already know. Don't play..." He had begun to say but his voice had trailed off when he took a good look at me. There was confusion, I was sure of it, but recognition. I could feel my heart swelling with happiness. Did I resemble a family member of his? Were our family genes that strong?

"Do I know you?" he had asked, taking a limping step toward me. "You look familiar..."

The sob escaped me before I could stop it and I took a step toward him, wanting so badly to wrap him in my arms and bury him in kisses. I could see the resemblance. It was faint but it was there. My baby brother was in there, deep in his genes, and his eyes were looking at me in guarded curiosity. I couldn't speak as I studied the man before me, my eyes taking him as if he were the key to my survival.

For all I knew, he probably was.

I looked at Miranda, the gaze in my eyes pleading. I was close to breaking my word in not attacking him. Miranda caught the look and she turned her blue eyes back toward her guests. "As you were informed, the Lazarus Project's aim is to bring Commander Jane Shepard back into the line of duty. For the sake of humanity's future. You were brought here because the Commander will need familiar faces around her. People that she trusts. You two are among those she had considered among her most trusted. She will need you for the battle to come." She took in a breath and let out a sigh to calm her nerves. "However, the project was not at its best at the time we acquired Shepard a year ago. Though we have made progress, we had to do several other experiments to make sure that the techniques we would be performing on Commander Shepard would work."

"Experiments?" asked Dr. Chakwas, her eyes glancing from me to Miranda. The look on her face could best be described as affronted. "You mean you had attempted to reanimate others?"

"Several failed attempts," admitted Miranda, not looking the least bit ashamed. I had looked at her then, noting the considerable difference in personality. She had been open with me thus far, she trusted me to a point. She did not know these people.

"However, our latest experiment had been successful," she continued as she looked at me and gestured toward me. "Meet Estella Moreno. She was born in the year 1984 CE and died in 2015 CE. She had been cryogenically frozen after her death for future research by a well-known pharmaceuticals company at the time. She had been discovered a little over a year and half ago in an almost forgotten private facility back on Earth. She was chosen for the Lazarus Project due to the unique method of preservation she had undergone. A deep freezing that preserved much of her body tissue and showed very little in deterioration." Miranda smiled then as she looked at Dr. Chakwas. "She is a successful experiment in the Lazarus Project and what we had learned from her will be applied to Commander Shepard. She is the key to bringing the Commander back. You can be rest assured that we are serious in our endeavors based simply on this woman here."

"I do not understand," said the doctor, her face showing her obvious confusion. "What has she to do with meeting us?"

"It was not to meet with you doctor but with someone who you were still in contact with," said Miranda, casting her blue eyes toward my kin. "We had come across some interesting findings when we had researched Estella's background and bloodline, looking to see if she had any living descendants." She smiled then, that self-satisfied smile I always disliked. She was always so smug at times like this. "Apparently, she had a living descendant who we recognized right away. A very important descendant who had helped our dear Commander in the fight against Saren and the geth." The wheels were turning in their heads and I could see the realization on their faces as they put two and two together. "It seems the universe has an interesting sense of humor. What were the chances that our only successful experiment so far would have a living relative who was one of the key _Normandy SR1_ crew members in saving the galaxy? When she had found out about Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau, she had been very anxious in wanting to meet her great-nephew." She took a step away from me, a signal that I was now free to give into the want to hug my nephew.

I didn't hesitate to take another step toward him as he looked at me, confusion and a hesitance could be seen. "Wait... You're pulling my chain. There's no way-"

"Didn't I look familiar to you? Before all of that had been said?" I interrupted, my eyes studying his hazel-green ones. "Do I remind you of someone you know? A great-grandmother on your father's side? A cousin of hers? A lost forgotten aunt?" I wanted to reach out to him. I wanted to take his hand and feel that he was truly real. I didn't though. I didn't want to scare him any more than I had already. "I'll tell you what I see. I see my niece Lena in your eyes. I see her father, my little brother Jason, in your face. I see my uncles and male cousins and my _own_ grandfather all smudged up within your brows, your nose... but especially in your ears..." I tried to hold back the sob but the tears fell anyway. "I see the people I had loved, and I had thought I would never see again, all alive in _you_." I could feel my body shaking, trying to subdue the sobs that were threatening to break forth. "I can prove myself to you. Just ask me and I will do _anything_ to prove my worth to you. I just... want my family..."

Silence followed my declaration and Jeff Moreau was staring at me with wide eyes. His bearded lips were opening and closing but no words came forth. Finally, after a heartbreaking silence, he closed his mouth and reached up a hand to scratch his forehead, the brim of his cap pushing upwards. The silence stretched on before he took in a breath. "Actually, you remind me of my father. Very weak jaw line. I'd always wondered where he got that from..."

I gazed at him, shocked beyond all reason, before my laughter bubbled up out of me and my sobs became mixed within. I shook my head as I let out hiccupping laughs, my relief so palpable I thought I would simply fall apart in that very spot. "S-so much like Jay," I said with nostalgia. "Always cracking jokes when I'm trying to be serious. I always loved that."

"Oh, so you like jokes?" he asked, his smile growing as he watched me. "Oh man! You haven't heard any have you? New to life and all?"

I laughed again and shook my head in response, my smile threatening to outshine the closest star to this station. "Try me. I bet they'd be recycled old fossils my brother told me a million times. "

Jeff's eyes brightened with the challenge and I could see it, a bit of hesitant acceptance. He didn't believe me but I was sure the pure emotional honesty and sincerity I had shown had helped. We would need to get to know each other, need to get a feel for one another. He would need to see all the records of me of course. I would not lie to my nephew and I would be damned if anyone would do so.

Beside me, I could sense Miranda's eyes on me and I knew she was smiling that smug smile of hers. Things had gone according to what she had planned. I'd hate to advise to her that she had done possibly one of the biggest mistakes with me so far. I was with my nephew now, a man who was starting to resemble my baby brother in more ways than one. Jason and I had been very close before my death. As close as any brother and sister could be. Pranks had been our specialty growing up. If Jeff was anything like his several times great-grandfather, we were going to get along _just_ fine...

-o-

_A month later_

I was surprised.

No, surprised wasn't the right word to use. Awe would be a better word.

I was sitting in Miranda's Lawson's office, right at her desk, and feeling all the blood drain from my face. This had been a normal routine for us lately. She had asked me questions about my past life and confirming if what I had remembered was accurate and correct. It was a test to see how well I remembered my life after being dead for so long. So, it was strange that instead of test this morning, she had a simple metal box on her desk. Miranda was sitting across from me and looking at me with an expectant look on her beautiful face. She had pushed the small box toward me and had told me to open it.

"It was the only thing that Amanda had managed to keep all of these years. It remained in the family vaults for so long and there had been no way to open it. No one knew what it was or what it could be for. It was keyed to open to only one particular set of genetic codes and it had to be a fresh sample. Not even a family member of that genetic code could be able to open it. It had to be an _exact_ match. Since no one knew who the box was for and no one in the family was able to open it, it was forgotten about… until now." She cleared her throat and folded her hands on her desk. "I know now that was meant for your eyes alone and now you are here. I can only say it is past due to give it to you. Just place a finger in the depression there on the top of the lid. It will take a sample of blood and analyze it for a match."

I looked at Miranda before I reached out to take the metallic box. I pressed my forefinger against the depression she had indicated and immediately felt a prick against my skin and winced. It felt like a lancet prick, one of those little needles that were used to help get a sample to test your blood sugar. It didn't hurt but it would be stinging for quite a while. I removed my finger and stuck it in my mouth to lick the blood away.

The box had an LCD screen imbedded in the lid and it was displaying a range of numbers that were flicking from zero to ten and then sky rocketing. The moment it read "100 %" the box had beeped and unlocked with a surprisingly loud click. Miranda had been watching this with bated breath and the look on her face was one of relief. Apparently, she had doubted if it would open with me.

Ignoring her for now, I reached out to the lid and opened the box. A flash emerged and a hologram of an elderly woman could be seen. There was a bit of static and the image flickered every few moments but there was no denying the woman. She was a hell of a lot older than when I had last seen her. Her black hair had grown silver with age and fine wrinkles were etched on every part of her skin. Her brilliant blue eyes were still alert though and she was smiling happily. " _If this message is playing than it can only mean that one of my descendants has fulfilled their promise and a very dear friend is sitting in front of this box now. Whoever you are young man or woman, my blood by who knows how many generations, you have my deepest gratitude and love."_

Miranda was speechless as she looked at the recording of Amanda Lawson, her own blue eyes welling with tears.

" _Estella, I know it may be a surprise to you. I'm sure by the time you see this message, if it is ever seen at all, I will be long dead. Still, if you are seeing this, it means you are alive. I don't know if you will remember me but you were one of my closest friends before you had died. I loved you like my own daughter and to lose you had ripped a part of my heart that I had no idea you had even taken. You had been erased so forcefully from this life. It was expected to happen given your sickness but... not for several years yet. I was hoping to have more time with you. Apparently, the universe has a perverse sense of humor, as you always liked to say."_

I smiled at my old friend, the tears spilling freely as I stared at her weathered face.

" _I don't know if you will hate me for having this done. I don't know if it can even be done. If it can, will you be the same Estella Moreno that your family and friends had loved? I don't know the answers to those questions. However, the answer I do know is that I cannot pass this life without knowing that at least I had_ tried.. _. You died in a car crash thirty years ago. A side impact from a drunk driver that had demolished the passenger side you had sat in. Your best friend, Alice Shepard, had survived but... you were killed instantly. I had your body placed in cryogenic stasis, as agreed upon in our contract, and we had been able to make much progress in our research over the years, thanks in part to you. However, what was not publicly known was that I had another project in mind for you. A personal mission as it were. I had made ironclad stipulations in my will, and in the inheritance that was to follow for each succeeding generation, that there will be attempts to find a way to reanimate you. Your sitting here, alive and well, has put in place another legal contract between you and me._ "

I blinked in surprise, that comment was not what I had expected to hear. Another contract? What contract? I looked at Miranda, who simply glanced back at me and shook her head. She had no idea what contract her ancestor was speaking of.

" _As of this moment, when you had given your blood sample to open this box,_ " continued Amanda, _"it should have activated another computer program within a well-known bank in my time. A separate trust account that you, and only you, will have access to. It has built interest over the years. If the careful investments I had made have become as fruitful as I had planned, this account should have grown. Should the currency be different depending on the year you are awoken be rest assured: These are stocks and bonds that can be converted. Should you wish to grant any persons you trust access to it that will be at your discretion. Think of this as a much-needed present from one friend to another._ " She had paused at this, letting out a painful sounding cough. She waved at someone who was off-screen, shaking her head to whatever had been asked of her. After she had managed to catch her breath, she focused her gaze back on me. " _I want you to live your life again. Live it to the fullest. Find love if you can. Have children if you can. Adoption had always been a lovely option you had considered when you spoke of the off-chance you would live. Just know that I love you and this will ensure you will not want for anything. In this box is a single item you loved above all others. It was the only thing I had known you had worn at length and never took off. I saved it so, in the rare chance you would be hearing this, and it could be given back to its rightful owner. El... I love you... Promise me only one thing in turn. Be alive._ "

The recording ended then and I sat there in silence, the awe from hearing Amanda's voice again after so many long years paralyzing me. Finally, my curiosity getting the better of me, I reached inside the box, which was covered in black velvet, and my fingers brushed against a familiar shape. The feel of the cool metal brought about a clutching feeling in my chest. I hardly hesitated as I grabbed the object and pulled it out, a long heavy silver chain dangling over my fingers. I opened my hand and looked down at an old school ring made from sterling silver. It had a green emerald as its centerpiece, cut in a lovely way, but cracked in several corners from being banged too many times over the years. Around the stone, the words _St. Martin's School_ was engraved. On one side of the ring there was a cross engraved surrounded by the numbers 1978 and, on the other side, a simple oil lamp showing rays of light above a bible. It was a large ring, a size nine, and I could never wear it on my fingers for fear of losing it, hence the chain.

Yet... here it was.

My Dad.

My father in all but blood.

His old high school ring.

It was here back in my hand. Something I never would have imagined to see again in this life. I slipped the familiar chain around my neck and the heavy ring settled comfortably back into its proper place between my breasts, over my heart. The one thing my dad had given me when he had no words to say...

Miranda was watching me with concern as I broke down for the first time in bawling tears.

At least until another hologram had popped up with information on the trust account that had been left for me. She nearly fell out of her chair at the amount of money now available and how much it would be worth once transferred to galactic credits. Apparently the built-in computer had picked up on the current trend. "Y-you... You have that much...? B-But... you're worth more than my father..."

I didn't comment. I simply laughed in between my sobs and thanked the goddess that I had made such a generous and loving friend...


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mechs, mechs and more mechs... How many mechs does this place have?

Chapter 5

_10 months later_

_2185, Lazarus Research Station_

I ignored the blaring sirens that went on around me. I ignored the sound of Randa's voice as she urged me through my comm unit to stop fooling around and get to the shuttles. My Omni-tool was glowing orange around my left hand, showing me the most successful route to bypass some of the hacked mechs that were trying to kill every living thing on the station. I had to get to the Recovery room.

My priority at this time was getting to Shepard and making sure that she got to her feet. She had shown positive signs of surviving the reanimation process. There had been a few close calls the past year but I would be damned if she wasn't as stubborn as Alice. She had hung in there and had survived it all. She wasn't awake yet though and she had to be. Everything was hinging on her survival and I would be damned more so than I ever was if I allowed anyone to hurt my niece in all but blood.

She had never spoken to me, had never seen me, she had never even met me, but I knew all I could about the woman who was Commander Jane Shepard. In another life, another time, she would have been _my_ descendant. _My_ blood. Who the hell knew for sure? The goddess willing though, I was here now and I was not going to let some hacked mechs try to kill a member of _my_ family. Of course, Randa had been everything but happy when she found out what I was doing. She was still yelling at me over my comm unit.

My combat training this past year had paid itself off and I was holding my own against these machines. Sure, this was my first real compact experience, and I admit I was scared shitless, but I had made it through to the Recovery-2 room in the Bio wing. My heavy pistol was running low on thermal clips and I was a jittery mess but I had made it. The moment the door had opened before me I could hear Randa's voice over the PA system, trying to rouse the sleepy Commander from her beauty rest. I would have laughed if I had not been so pumped on adrenalin and my fight/flight instincts hadn't been on high gear.

I had rushed to the gurney and was relieved to see that Shepard was moving. Slowly, awkwardly, but she was moving. I called out to Shepard and shook her by the shoulder, rousing her more than Randa's voice could at this moment.

"Wha...?"

"Questions later," I said as I took her by the arm and helped her into a sitting position. "Commander, we need to get the hell out of Dodge! I can hold my own but I'm not experienced enough with real on-the-field combat. You can do a hell of a lot more damage than me so I suggest you get up now! There's a pistol and some armor in the locker on the other side of the room."

The very floor began to shake beneath us and Shepard got to her feet, wincing slightly as she held her side. Apparently, some of her scars had not completely healed. Rushing to the locker for her, I grabbed the pistol and the armor from the locker and rushed back to her side. "Here. Put this on and get ready. This entire facility is under attack and I don't know how many more of the hacked mechs we have waiting for us out there. Goddess knows they had probably caught sight of me on my way here."

Shepard looked at me, her blue-gray eyes bringing an unexpected jolt of sad nostalgia through me, before she took the armor and weapon I offered. She got herself equipped quickly enough in her armor, a mostly black number that had some red strewn about. On the right side of her chest was the logo "N7". I could only imagine it would help her in more ways than protecting her. Knowing Randa like I did, she would have given a number of familiar things for Shepard to help jump-start the memories as she had done with me. In this case, her old armor.

"This pistol doesn't have a thermal clip," said Shepard, her eyes focusing on me as she got her weapon ready.

"Now is not the time to be picky," I said, kneeling down behind some empty beds for cover. My training had grilled this into me enough times. You could be shot at from anywhere. Seek cover where available. "We'll get you what you need." Not a moment after I said this an explosion sounded.

Shepard had kneeled down beside me; her arm had automatically going around in front of me in protection. Seems she could tell I wasn't very experienced in situations like this. Good. I'm glad to know my back would be watched. The moment the explosion had faded she got to her feet and I followed after her, Randa's voice now coming through both of our comm units. "Someone's hacking the security system trying to kill you. The both of you need to look for a thermal clip for your pistols."

"Thanks for stating the obvious Randa," I said, knowing she could hear me on her comm unit. I kept on following after Shepard as we made our way through the blasted door. Thankfully, or not so thankfully, we found several thermal clips for our pistols in the next corridor. I could only imagine who would have left it there. I tried not to think about it as I followed Shepard past a makeshift barricade. She took down a rogue mech before I could even react and I followed after her in a daze. Goddess, she was quick.

"Keep moving! We need to get you to the shuttles," said Randa, her uniquely accented now finally grating on my nerves as she spoke over our comm units. We had made it to one of the observation decks but not before the door opposite us had blown open and several hacked mechs were making their toward us. "Shepard, Moreno! Security mechs are closing in on your position. Take cover!"

"Miranda Lawson, if you say one more obvious thing I am going to flay you the moment I see you, do you hear me?" Shepard glanced at me in question and I shook my head in response, though the silence that followed my statement was telling. Almost a year with combat training under her, learning all I could about this time and technology from her, and slowly getting to trust one another, had brought about a comfortable level of close friendship. "Keep us posted _before_ the hacked mechs get to us. I know you have better visuals!"

"Just get moving El," was all Miranda said but I could hear the smile in her voice despite the situation. "Stay close to Shepard."

I looked at Shepard and motioned for her to keep moving, my own heavy pistol aimed and ready. It took the both of us to knock down the mechs in our way. Past one of the research labs, and a good hack from Shepard's Omni-tool to get the door to one of the labs opened, we made our way through. Our presence had activated one of the recorded logs on an abandoned computer. Wilson's voice emerged, lamenting on the budget of the project so far and that none of it had been kicked his way past what was in his contract. Suspicion rose in me but I ignored it for now, wondering if that was a file no one should have had access to. Wilson had been one of the vital members of bringing Shepard back, bringing me back.

He wouldn't...

He couldn't...

Then again, who the hell knew what he was feeling? In fact, why had that recording even started? I think with all the hacked mechs running wild on this station, whoever had hacked the system did not think about the security of the files on the research data. It seemed to be a win all/lose all situation...

The moment we made it past that lab and into the corridor that led toward one of the cargo bays, I heard a familiar voice calling out. "Moreno? Moreno! Help me!" I glanced at one of the windows that looked over the labs to my left and my heart nearly torn itself in two as I saw a familiar face of a man, his fists banging against the glass. It was one of the staff members of the station calling out to us. "Shepard? Shepard! Moreno! No please! Don't leave me! Help me!" There was a thud and a heavy mech emerged from the cloud of smoke and flame behind the man. The sound of heavy gunfire and a burst of crimson blood were all that I saw before I felt Shepard's hand grab my upper arm and drag me away. We kept running to our destination. Shepard did not know the man so did not stop to try to help him. My main concern was of the woman with me and making sure she survived this hell. I knew the man and it made my heart-break even more. It was a decision I had hoped to never make, leaving one for the sake of another...

Then again, I had done that the moment I made my way straight to Shepard. How many had I bypassed on the way to her? I tried not to think about it.

We left the man to his fate and made our way up a flight of steps and took a left into one of the open areas in the center of the station that looked up above and down below to the other levels. It had been used as a hangout spot for the staff. Now it was a scene for an ongoing battle for survival. One of the more efficient members on this station was there, holding his own against several hacked mechs as he took cover behind the bullet proof glass of the guard rail.

Jacob Tyler caught sight of us and his dark eyes fell upon me in surprise. "El?! What the hell are you doing here with Shepard?"

"Taking her out for a nighttime stroll. I thought she could use the exercise," I said in response, kneeling down to his left side as Shepard took cover on his right.

He shot several rounds at the mechs before his dark eyes focused on me again. "Woman, I know you did not just ignore Miranda's orders to get to the shuttles just so you could get to Shepard."

"Orders aren't worth shit if it means my niece had to wake up alone," I said, my eyes focused on his as I lifted my pistol, took aim, and fired at a mech diagonally from me. "I wasn't gonna let her take this shit on her own when she's still recovering!"

"The Commander knows how to handle herself from the looks of it," he said with a surprised look on his face as he glanced at Shepard, who shot down a couple more of the mechs from across the way. Her aim was better than mine and a hell of a lot more efficient. "I thought she was still a work in progress."

"Key word _was,_ Jake. Now she is, much like me, progress at work. Shepard is important, more so than any of us. Someone had to get to her to make sure she got moving. I was the closest so I went. End of story. She lives. We live. Simple enough."

"I just woke up," said Shepard a she ducked her head, her shields catching several shots from enemy fire. She looked at the two of us and shook her head. "I don't know what the hell is going on much less who you two are." She frowned lightly, her eyes flicking to me with open curiosity. "And why are you calling me your niece? I don't have any living family."

"Long story. Too long to tell right now," I said with a smile as I looked at her. Several shots cleared over us, one knocking into my shield. A crackle of blue energy emerged before it disappeared from sight. "Shorter version. You were dead. There was a big project that reanimated your frozen, fucked up, corpse with fresh shiny new parts and upgrades. Fast forward a bit: Someone hacked the security mechs in this station in an attempt to _keep_ you dead and this is where find ourselves now. Any questions?"

Shepard stared at me for a moment before a slight smile touched her lips. "You wouldn't happen to be related to anyone named Jeff Moreau, would you?"

This time it was Jacob who outright laughed as he emerged from his cover and fired at another mech, its synthesized voice cutting off with a groan as its head exploded. "Oh this is gonna be good," he said as he got back down and looked at Shepard. "Look, we gotta get to the shuttles. We can fill you in on the way. I'm Jacob Taylor and this crazy woman beside me is Estella Moreno."

"I wish I could say it was a pleasure but considering the circumstances how about we just skip the pleasantries," said Shepard as she got her pistol ready. "You know this station. I'll follow you two and watch your back."

"Oh thank the goddess! I get to put my training to a real test," I said with a smile as I leaned over to nudge Jacob. "You ready to dance, 'o powerful biotic?"

I heard Jacob's groan as he repositioned himself to get a better vantage point. "Why do you keep calling me that? Miranda is more powerful. Why don't you call her that? "

"Randa's already full of herself enough as it is," I said as I replaced a thermal clip to my pistol. "Besides, you know you like it."

He huffed out a laugh as he shook his head and got up to throw a particular burst of biotics to pull one of the mechs toward us. It floated there helplessly as I got in a good head shot and it exploded in a shower of sparks.

"This is going to be interesting," I heard Shepard grumble as she got up to help clear the mechs out the way...

-o-

Shots, shots and more shots. Some biotics to add flavor in the mix and that was all she wrote.

Somehow or another, Wilson had managed to survive the onslaught of hacked mechs and was directing us to his location through our comm units. We took a few turns down a few corridors and the next thing I know, we are in Server Room B, where one of the major players of Project Lazarus was wounded. Wilson was the Chief Medical Officer of the project. He had actually been the one to personally oversee Shepard's recovery. He wasn't well liked on the station and it didn't help that he always gave off this holier-than-thou attitude. He was even worse than Miranda and, though I loved her, she was full of herself to the extreme.

Shepard was quick to find some medi-gel in one of the first aid cabinets and gave it to Wilson to apply to the leg wound he had. He staggered to his feet as he explained what he was doing in the server room, trying to find a way undo what had hacked the mechs in the first place.

"We didn't ask what you were doing," said Jacob, a slight frown on his face. "Why do you even have security mech clearance? You were in the Biowing."

_Twitch, twitch, goes the suspicion._

"Weren't you even listening? I came here to try and fix this. Besides, I was shot! How do you explain that?"

_And there goes the disbelief. Too quick to switch the focus from himself._

"Very easy to shoot yourself in the foot - or leg in this case - if you don't know how to aim," I said as I crossed my arms beneath my breasts, the frown on my face was telling. I didn't believe a word of his story. I didn't know what he was truly doing here and based on his body language he definitely was trying to hide something. You weren't an RN for the better part of three years and not learned to pick up on body language. There were plenty of things a patient was willing to lie about for whatever odd ball reason about their health. I was thankful for my experience now as I watched Wilson's agitated gaze focus my way.

He was frowning at me and looked as if he was going to say something but Shepard had interrupted. "You're all strangers to me," she said, the look on her face was easy enough to decipher. She didn't trust any one of us. For some odd reason, I felt a strange clutching in my chest at the thought. Of course, I had known she would not trust so easily but seeing her had made me fall so easily back in time. I was seeing Alice again and for a moment I felt I had my best friend and sister back. Her declaration was a quick jarring reminder that she was anything but.

"Let's get someplace safe then we'll sort out whose fault it is," she continued, her gaze turning to me as the only other woman in the group. My face must have shown something of what I was feeling because I could see a slight flicker of concern cross hers. She didn't say anything to me though and I was thankful. I didn't know how I was going to explain my momentary relapse. I had thought I was finally getting past this. Seeing Shepard brought back unneeded and difficult emotions

"Right Shepard," said Jacob. "We have to find Miranda. We can't leave her behind."

"Forget about Miranda," said Wilson, his eyes focusing on Jacob. "She was over in D-wing. There were mechs all over that sector. There's no way she survived."

I reacted before I could stop myself and moved over to roughly shove the bald-headed asshole. He fell back against the guard rail behind him as I pointed my pistol at him, threatening in the only way I knew how. "Don't breathe another lie or so goddess help me, I will shove my pistol so far down your throat you will be shitting thermal clips! Do you understand me? There's no way in hell a bunch of mechs would ever get the drop on Randa."

"Get the hell away from me." He pushed me away and I stumbled back a few steps only to have Shepard reach out to steady me. Wilson glared at me as he pointed a finger at me. "Crazy bitch. I don't know what the hell got up your ass. You're always defending her. What proof do you have? Miranda is as good as dead. If she wasn't then where the hell is she? Why haven't we heard from her? There's only two possible explanations: She's either dead or she's a traitor."

"She was yelling at me through our comm link just before Shepard and I found Jacob, you bald shit-for-brains," I said as I reached out to pat Shepard's hands in a reassuring gesture. I wasn't going to try to go after him again but my temper was anything but cool. She released me but I could sense her close behind me. "Communications broke from her area and we lost contact. There's no way for her to reach us if she has no signal in her area. That doesn't mean she's dead or a traitor."

"She did wake me up and warn me about the attack just before Moreno came to get me," said Shepard and I looked back at her to see a slight warmth in her eyes as her gaze met mine. It was slight, very slight, but I could see the trust there. Apparently, my risking my ass to help her won me some brownie points in her book above the others. That was a hell of a first step as far as I was concerned. "Why would she do that?"

"OK, maybe she's not a traitor," said Wilson, the frustration clearing showing on his face. "But that doesn't change the facts. We're here. She's not. We need to save ourselves."

"You are such a selfish bastard," I said without thought but I couldn't get another word in edge wise. The door opposite of where we were standing suddenly opened and several hacked mechs appeared, shots firing without pause. I was pushed aside without warning and Shepard moved in front of me. She aimed her left hand, a blue glow emitting from her fingers before the canisters filled with some unknown fuel source exploded. The echoing blast had left my ears ringing but it did the job and the path was now clear.

"OK, we took 'em down," said Jacob as he holstered his gun, "but this is getting tense. Shepard, if I tell you who we work for, will you trust us?"

"This really isn't the time Jacob," said Wilson, putting in his unneeded two cents.

"And neither is your attitude but you still see fit to smother us with it," I said as I put my pistol away and moved to stand close to Shepard. "The least we can do is be honest with her and let her know what she is involved with. That way she can make the decision to trust the lot of us on her own grounds." Shepard had not moved away from me when I stopped beside her. In fact, she shifted her position so that way she was slightly in front of me, as if trying to shield me from Wilson.

"El's right," said Jacob, throwing a grateful look my way as he turned to face Wilson. "We won't make it if she's expecting a shot in the back."

"If you want to piss off the boss, it's your ass Jacob."

"No, it won't be," I said as I shifted slightly, my boots thumping against the floor. "Can't get in trouble if another experiment tells, now can you Jacob?" I allowed a smug smile to show, a smile that told Wilson to fuck off, before I turned my gaze to Shepard. "The Lazarus Project was a program made specifically to reanimate you. To bring you back to life, so to speak, should the need arise. I was number ten of ten other experiments in this program. The purpose of those others was to experiment and test the techniques to verify the success rate of survival before they would be used on you. I was the only one who lived through the entire reanimation process. The program had then used what they learned from me to rebuild you. The group that had been so insistent in bringing you back- this whole thing, all of it - is funded and controlled by Cerberus."

"I know that name," said Shepard, shifting slightly as she folded her arms across her armored chest. "I think I ran into Cerberus a few times while I was investigating Saren. Aren't they some kind of pro-human splinter group?"

"Well that's what the Alliance wants people to believe. There's more to it than that."

"No, that's pretty much it," I said with laugh, ignoring the annoyed look Jacob threw me. Shepard glanced at me then, a brow quirked in question. "There's mainly more to the _people_ who work for Cerberus. Like Jake here, the people who work for the group are doing so for their own various and idealistic reasons. They want change for the betterment of humankind. Cerberus is the only group in the galaxy that has shown they take action so far." I gestured toward her and waved my hand over her as if trying to show her some invisible aura. "You were declared dead by the Alliance. They pegged you as a heroine and gave you some awards. That's all the action they took. They did not heed your warnings about the threat our galaxy was facing and swept it all under the rug. You were the only one who had made such a dramatic change for the human race in the Council's eyes and Cerberus felt that you would be the only one who could continue making a difference. They had spent an unknown amount of credits to bring you back and for what _exact_ reason they did not make clear. To be frank, you have every right to be suspicious."

"Look, it was better that you knew what's what," said Jacob as he started to walk and moved around Shepard and I. "I'd be suspicious myself but right now, we need to work together to get out of here. Once we get off this station, we'll take you to the Illusive Man. He'll explain everything. I promise."

"I don't care what they did or what you say," said Shepard, the frown growing fierce on her face. "I am _not_ going to work with terrorists." She turned then and started moving quickly away from us, her anger quite clear.

"You can tell that to the boss," said Jacob as we followed after her, "but after we save our butts. We're almost at the shuttle."

I followed closely behind Shepard, that clutching feeling in my chest again. I was worried that she wasn't going to want anything to do with me since I had been a part of everything so far. Miranda had always been clear I had the choice to walk away but I stayed. For her, for Shepard, for Joker. These people were all I had left to remind of the people I had loved in my earlier life. I might have been a fool to expect that I would be welcomed as such from people who were perfect strangers. Miranda had been different because she had known all about me before I had even come to take my first breath. Joker was just _finally_ accepting me as a relative of his and that had taken nearly a year of constant association. With Shepard, who knew what I would get? For all I knew, she would kick me to the curb the moment she could.

I would still follow after her though. She was Alice's niece and my ex-husband's baby. I just wouldn't be able to leave her...

Not another word was said as we made our way down a corridor, up a flight of steps, and onto a platform that led through a cargo bay toward Docking Station 2. We had to take down some mechs along the way but with the four of us there was little trouble. We finally reached door that led to the shuttles and Wilson ran ahead of us, his urgency quite clear. He made it to the holographic keyboard and entered a few keys. "C'mon, through here. We're almost at the-" The door swished open and an unexpected sight greeted us. It was certainly not what Wilson had expected.

"Miranda! But, you were-" His voice was cut off as Miranda lifted her pistol and fired a clean shot straight to his throat. He let out a gurgle before falling to a heap on the floor.

"Dead?" she asked, lowering her pistol as she scowled down at the bleeding body of the former Chief Medical Officer.

"What the hell are you doing?" asked Jacob, running toward Wilson's slumped form.

Miranda ignored him and turned straight to me. She holstered her pistol and moved over to me in several quick steps. Soon enough, I was wrapped up in a hug tight enough to make it hard to breathe. I gasped for breath as I returned the hug. "I-I'm happy t-to see you alive too, Randa."

She pulled away from me and slapped a heavy hand against my upper arm. "Don't you _ever_ scare me like that again! What were you thinking going off on your own like that? You could've gotten yourself hurt or killed! You aren't fully trained to handle a situation like this! If you ever disregard my orders again-"

"I'm all right Randa," I said with a smile, rubbing the sore spot on my arm. "I managed it through on my own to Shepard and lived to tell the tale. I take it Wilson was definitely our rat?"

Miranda had taken in a calming breath once she had gotten the worry and anger out of her system. She looked down at Wilson's body before allowing a look of disgust to touch her beautiful features. "He betrayed us all."

"Even if you're sure, did he deserve that welcome?" asked Shepard, who looked crossed between amused and confused. She looked as if wasn't sure what to make of the scene between Randa and me but she decided to let it go. Instead, she focused her attention on something that she knew and was familiar with- the death of the man on the floor.

"He sabotaged the security systems, killed my staff, and would have killed us."

"Bald prick," I muttered as I folded my arms beneath my breasts and let loose a heavy breath. "Bastard was trying to put the blame on you."

"Are you sure about this Miranda?" asked Jacob. Goddess bless him, he had such a good heart. Always willing to see the good in everyone. "We've known Wilson for years. What if you're wrong?"

"I'm never wrong," said Randa in reply, the look on her face getting that telltale smugness. It was the only thing I truly disliked about her. Yet, she wouldn't be Miranda without it. "I thought you'd have learned that by now Jacob."

"In other words Jake," I said, grabbing his attention from gazing at Wilson. "Randa had been keeping tabs on Wilson, watching his every move, trying to find the proof of his turncoat ways." I let out a snort and shook my head. "He must have covered his tracks really well if you couldn't find anything to stick on him."

"He was good. He had managed to pull this off before I could prevent it. He made a big mistake when he hacked the system himself though."

"While this has been fun," said Shepard as she put her pistol away. "What's our next step?"

"We get on the shuttle and go," said Randa as she turned her gaze to Shepard. "My boss wants to speak to you."

"You mean the Illusive Man?" Shepard asked, the frown was coming back to her face. "I know you work for Cerberus."

"Estella..."

Randa turned her attention to me and I held up my hands in surrender. "I didn't say anything about the Illusive Man. I didn't even know that was what he was called. You always called him the boss around me. However, I did tell her about Cerberus and the project. You knew I was going to at any rate. I'm not keeping any secrets from her. Lying to her isn't going to do anyone any favors."

Randa gave a heavy sigh as she nodded. "I know El, I know... I wouldn't ask you to either." She reached up a gloved hand to rub her forehead. "Well, since we're getting everything out in the open," she said, casting a glare at Jacob as she said this. He didn't look the least bit ashamed for having divulged the name of the boss and I was happy about that. Shepard needed honest people around her if she was going to succeed. "Is there anything you want to ask before we go, Commander?"

Shepard allowed the tension to ease itself from her shoulders as she sighed. "I've had enough of this station to last me a lifetime," she said.

"Or two in your case," said Randa before she turned on her heel toward the docking station. "Come on..."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't like the fashion nowadays so sue me.

Chapter 6

As the shuttle we had boarded began its journey toward the Minuteman Station, where a good chunk of Cerebus' operatives were based, I found myself feeling slightly numb. The research station had been the place I had been "born again" and yet nearly everything and everyone within it had been destroyed. It seemed with Shepard now up and about, the station had no further use.

_What perfect timing to kill everyone Wilson..._

I had found myself in a seat beside the commander with Randa across from me and Jacob diagonally. I was staring out the only window in the shuttle compartment, trying to come to grips with all that had happened. I could hear the others talking. Randa was doing one of her infamous tests and making sure that Shepard's personality and memories were intact. She had done a similar test to me when I had woken up. However, mine had been a little more difficult. Before the box that activated my now wealthy status and gave me back my dad's old ring, all she had to go based on were some archives that were held in her family records and some old videos that had been recorded of me. Old home movies from various moments in my life just before I had gotten sick. They had been converted to a newer format as time went by and were available as a matter of public record among trillions of other such vids. Available for research and study in the life of a random human woman at the turn of the 21st century...

The time passed as the shuttle made its way to the Minuteman Station; their voices were like background noise to me. All I could hear was the sound of my own steady heartbeat. I was so dazed I didn't realize that someone was calling my name. I blinked and looked at the others, my eyes focusing on Jacob since it was his voice that finally registered with my thoughts. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"Are you OK, El?" he asked, the look on his face was one of slight worry. "You've been a little quiet... This was all a bit much for you, wasn't it?"

I could only nod as my emotions began to get the better of me. "It's one thing to train for it... but to experience it is a whole different matter."

"You did well," said Shepard and I glanced at her in surprise. "For your first real combat, you have a natural instinct in looking out for your teammates. That's a big help." She had actually smiled at me and I couldn't help the happiness that welled up in me. "With more training and experience, you'll be fine."

"If she ever learns to follow orders," said Randa, throwing in her two cents but she was smiling at me when I turned my glare her way.

"I'll take your word for it," was all I said in response to Shepard as I looked back out the window. The station was nearing. I couldn't wait to take a long, warm shower...

-o-

Showers were wonderful things.

The water falling over you, massaging each milometer of skin. Washing away the dirt, the grime, the sweat, and the tears. I was in the shower for well over an hour before I felt clean enough. I had gotten out, dried myself off, and went into my room. I had gotten dressed in a pair of comfortable flared black jeans and a sleeveless red blouse with a low neckline. It had taken a lot of pleading to Randa, a lot of strings to pull, but she had managed to find a company that specialized in making vintage, turn-of the-21st century clothing. They _knew_ how to make clothes from my time period. She had ordered some clothing for me since price was no longer an issue. I had been _so_ ecstatic when she had surprised me with my new wardrobe; I had nearly knocked her over in my haste to hug her. The smile on her face had been a fond one.

To have clothes I was used to made a huge difference in during my stay at the station. I was comfortable in jeans and in a blouse. The fashion in this new time was not something I felt comfortable in. No matter how well-adjusted and supportive the clothes were to your form, _my_ form was not meant to _look_ decent in those clothes. Everyone seemed to be on the slender or skinny side of the scale. Unless you were of a particular alien descent where bulk was your default, the majority of the people in this time were slender to a degree so the fashion keyed in toward that mass.

I was on the thick side for a human female. That was how I had died and how I was frozen. Fat cells didn't go away if you had no way to work it off. I was, more or less, in the same shape I was before the car accident despite, the corrective procedures used on me during the reanimation process.

I was thick.

Not slender. Not pleasantly curvy.

 _Thick_.

Despite my training with Randa over the past year, the most I had lost was about fifteen pounds. I would feel I was genetically dispositioned to keep that thickness despite the exercise and dieting. It must have been a hereditary advantage at the time for my lineage and it was something that had carried on. In fact, I was actually considered thin for an average woman of my age and ethnicity in my time frame. I did not have a problem with it. I was in good health at the time before I had gotten sick.

170 years later, I was having a problem.

People were staring.

They were staring at me as an oddity, as if I were a new kind of alien they had not come across before. I had even had a few people question me if I _was_ human. That was the last straw. If people were going to stare at me and question me, I'd rather it be in something I felt comfortable in. At least if they looked at me they would assume I was some crazy fanatic of the early 21st century. They would think I had deliberately put on the weight and it made it less awkward. Sure, they thought I was crazy but I could deal with that. So, I had clothing that consisted of a majority of jeans, some khaki capris, and a variety of t-shirts and blouses. Aside from the footwear of this time, I looked like a living, breathing relic of the 2010's.

And I was happy with it.

It was a rare time when you would find me in clothing from this time and it was only during an emergency. Like during the mech attack on the research station. I had been in a skin-tight, black and white jumpsuit of Cerberus issue with accompanying armor. It had been because of the situation at hand but now that I was back on the Minuteman Station, where I had lived the last 6 months, I was going to be comfortable. Who would have thought going with Randa on a joy ride to visit Shepard would have turned into a fight for my life?

After the shower and dressing quickly, I made my way from my room, through the corridors that led from the staff wing, and back toward the docking station where I was sure the others were. There was going to be a mission lined up, one that I was not going to be a part of, but one in which Randa would be. I wanted to say my goodbyes and wish them luck. I had more training to get in and more studying to do for my medical exams. Working as an intern for Dr. Chakwas had been interesting to say the least.

The moment I arrived in the docking area, I caught sight of Shepard speaking with Randa by one of the computer terminals. As I was nearing, I could hear the tension in Randa's voice as she turned back to the console in front of her. "...got an assignment. We can talk about it or we can do it."

"Is everything OK?" I asked as I drew up close to them and looked at the both of them. Randa looked at me, the frustration clear on her face, before her gaze moved over my outfit. The frustration had given way to mirth as a smile touched her lips. She had always found my taste in clothing amusing. Well, she could go fuck herself. I was comfortable.

"We were just discussing a few things," she said as she looked back at the computer screen and continued to type. "How are you feeling, El?"

"Better," I said, folding my arms beneath my breasts. "A shower is a therapeutic and much needed experience."

"What are you wearing?" was the first question Shepard directed my way. I glanced at her and I could see the confusion on her face as she looked at my black jeans and red blouse. Apparently, she had never come across 2015 style of clothing before. At least not my taste in clothing from that time, which was based loosely from the Flower Child period of the 1960's.

"Something comfortable," I said in reply as I allowed a smile to touch my lips. "I may have been brought back to life in 2184 but mentally I am still in 2015. I go with what I know well."

"You did mention that you were part of the Lazarus Project," she said, her eyes taking on a spark of curiosity. "Did you have some time to talk? We have a few moments before we get dispatched on a mission."

I glanced at Randa, who looked at me and gave a smile but said nothing in response. This was clearly all me. Shepard was curious about me and I was sure as hell curious about her. Now was as good a time as any.

"I do," I said and beckoned her to follow me toward one of the rows of seats that lined the docking station. It was far away enough from prying ears but still within visual sight of Randa, who liked to keep a close eye on me.

Shepard followed after me as I went to take a seat closest to the window that overlooked the nearby star and planet the station was orbiting. I heard her sit down in the seat right beside me and I looked at her with a welcome smile. "So, what's on your mind?"

"A lot," she said in reply, the look in her eyes were thoughtful before she focused her gaze on mine. "I'm curious about you though, Moreno. You're strange but you've been honest with me from the moment I met you." She took in a breath and shifted slightly in her seat, her armor creaking from the movement. "You said you were one of ten experiments in the Lazarus Project that had been used to test the reanimation process. You were only one to survive." She hesitated a moment before she looked out the window and continued on. "You walk, talk, and act like a woman completely out-of-place. Hell, you even dress the part. I have little doubt you are who you say you are. I have so many questions for you but the only one that comes to mind is... Well... Why did you call me your niece back there?" She turned her eyes back toward me. I could see the disbelief but I could also see a hint of hope. Was she hoping that she had a living family member? Oh goddess...

I took in breath and reached out to take her gloved hand in my own. She didn't pull away from my touch and I was thankful. She trusted me enough to allow the physical contact. "The goddess willing... It was just a series of events of knowing the right people at the right time. It set the universe in just a way where it brought about a number of actions that ensured that I would be able to sit here and speak with you myself." I sighed and shook my head. "I call you my niece out of respect. Had things gone the way I had planned and dreamed, you would have been _my_ descendant instead..."

So, I had given her a brief explanation about who I was, when I had been born, when I had died, and the circumstances to which brought me here before her. She listened intently and, though I knew she doubted my words, she was still willing to listen. I gave her access to my records from the data on my omni-tool. I had advised her to not take my word alone for it and research everything herself. It was there. I had nothing to hide.

Shepard had sighed at the end of it and gave a nod. "You gave me a lot to think about." She swallowed and looked away. "I'll check it out on my downtime but... I do want you to know I trust you. More than anyone here so far." She glanced at me then and allowed a small smile to show. "You were there for me the moment I opened my eyes. You looked out for me, watched my back, and had been honest and open with me the entire way. That means a lot. I need people I trust by my side and you are someone I feel I can trust. If things check out as you say, given time... I think it will be nice to know I have a family member to call my own."

I let out a soft laugh and gave a nod in agreement. "I'll look forward to that day."

Shepard smiled before she glanced over at Miranda, who was speaking with Jacob. They were looking to get ready; their weapons were getting a checkup. She looked at me, her eyes studying me as she reached up to brush away a lock of short, auburn hair from her eyes. "Are you coming with us to Freedom's Progress? I could use you to watch my back."

I smiled at this and shook my head. "It was a fluke that I was there on the station when that hell had broken loose. I'm not one to play soldier. Though I have training for those emergency situations, my experience leans toward patching the soldiers up in between the battles." I gave her hand a squeeze before I let it go. "I'll be here brushing up on some studying and training. When the medical bay needs some help to patch you up, I'll be sure to get you and your team taken care of."

She started to laugh and then she nodded. "Sounds fair. But one way or another, I'm going to get you more field training. I'll have you out there by my side soon enough."

"I'll... try to look forward to that," I said with a laugh as we both stood up and smiled at each other.

It was a start for the both of us but it was looking to be a very good start.

-o-

Training and studying resumed for me and I was soon buried in page after page of medical data. Time was funny on a space station, especially when you were hopping from one system to another. I was just beginning to get used to not worrying about pacific, mountain, central or eastern time zones. Now, it was simply a universal clock that was used for all stations and ships, which was normally a 24 hour Earth period. When you were on a planet, then you would adjust yourself to the time frame of that place. It was too much for me to focus on and instead I adjusted my internal clock as needed.

At this time, it had been over four days since I said goodbye to Randa and Shepard before they headed on their new mission to investigate a colony that had its inhabitants go missing. While I am sure very little time had passed for them while traveling, the hours on this station dragged by. During that time, I was familiarizing myself with my most recent study log about Turian anatomy. It was my current field of study once I had conquered asari, quarian, drell and salarian anatomy and medical care. I had _not_ broached the subject of krogan anatomy yet due the sheer volume of research it consisted. I have to say, aliens had brought the medical field into a whole new ball game. My respect for the doctors that handled these people had grown to the point of awe. Needless to say, I was very humbled by the fact that Dr. Karin Chakwas had taken me under her wing and was teaching me all she knew.

I was so focused on my studies it was a surprise when I was notified of a guest at my door by the synthesized voice of the computer that kept an eye on me. I called out to whomever that the door was open. I was hardly ever bothered by anyone outside of those who knew me. My only frequent guests were Randa, Jake, Joker, or my mentor, so it was little surprise when I heard the doctor's familiar voice once the door to my room opened.

"Busy studying?" Dr. Chakwas asked as she walked in, a pleased smile on her face. "It's always good to see you so focused."

"Hey there Dr. Hacksaw," I said, my eyes focused on the text before me. I was reading on a particular paragraph that went over a particular part of a male Turian's anatomy. I waved at her sit to down in the empty chair by my desk as I cast a glance her way before looking back at my screen. "What brings you around so soon? I thought you weren't testing me for another month."

The doctor didn't even bat an eyelash at my butchering her name and simply sat down in the chair across from me. "You're right, I'm not. However, there's been a change in plans and we're going to need you fit for duty."

This time I did focus my attention on her, my gaze flicking to hers, as I turned slightly away from the screen. "I thought I was only here for back up."

That had been the plan. I would stay safe and sound on the station while the doctor manned the medical bay of the new ship. There weren't going to be many people on Shepard's team and those that were would be more experienced than me. I wouldn't be on the ship; I knew the risk I caused from my lack of experience. I would be more of a hindrance, not an aid. Randa and I had talked about it and we felt it best that I stay out of harm's way and be there to help when absolutely needed.

"Apparently, Commander Shepard is adamant in keeping you on hand with the rest of us. When Miranda had argued against it Shepard had told her, and I quote, 'I need people I trust on my team. Moreno earned that trust the moment she helped me. She stays.'" There was such a pleased smile on her face. I had no idea the doctor could even smile like that. "So, Miranda had made it clear you would be continuing your studies on board the new ship but with on field experience to add under your belt. That is why I am here. The Commander will be expecting you on board with the rest of us."

"I... but..." I couldn't think of a single thing to say. I was so dumbfounded by all that she had said. Shepard really wanted me with her? Did she really believe me? It was more than I ever could have dreamed. I'm sure she didn't believe everything but she trusted me enough. That was all I had hoped for. I looked at the doctor and shook my head. "What do I do?"

"I was going to suggest you get your things together but Joker had asked me to tell you to meet him at the docking station. I'm here to help get your things in order while you do that."

I couldn't help the excited smile that appeared on my face as I practically jumped up from my chair. "Joker's here? Seriously?" I was about to run out the door when my manners got the best of me and I turned around to look at the doctor. "Are you sure? I don't have much but I don't want to inconvenience you..."

Dr. Chakwas laughed as she got up from her chair and waved me off. "Go and meet your nephew. I'll have some of your clothes packed for you and I'll meet you on the ship."

I couldn't help the squeal that escaped me as I ran over to the doctor and wrapped her up in a tight hug. "You're the best doctor ever!" I said as I squeezed her before pulling away from her and running out the door. I could hear her laughing behind me and I couldn't help the smile that touched my lips. I swear that woman was too sweet for her own good.

-o-

I was out of breath by the time I made it to the docking station, having run the entire way. I must have looked like a lunatic but I didn't care. My nephew was here. I had stopped about halfway into the large area, my eyes scanning the rows of empty seats and computer terminals, before I caught sight of him standing beside the armored form of Commander Shepard. They were standing by one of the windows that looked out over the docking bays.

He was talking to Shepard, a familiarity that struck a case of nostalgia with me. Here were two descendants of two of my family members. I think that even if I wasn't here to witness it myself, they would have still been standing here side by side. A testament to a friendship that went deeper than anything.

I could hear Joker as he spoke to Shepard, his capped head shaking once. "I don't trust anyone who makes more than I do. But they aren't all that bad. Saved your life, let me fly-"

I was practically feeling giddy by this time and let out a whoop and holler, waving frantically to the man who meant everything to me in blood and family. "Baby nephew!"

He turned his head at the sound of my voice and a bright smile touched his bearded lips the moment he caught sight of me. "...aannd brought back a member of my family I couldn't imagine being without," he said to Shepard before he turned to face me and held out his arms in welcome. "Hey, ya old hag! I was wondering when you'd show up!"

I laughed and didn't hesitate to rush over to him. The moment his arms were around me, I smothered his bearded cheek with kisses and nuzzled the hell out of him. Due to his disease, I was never one to instigate the hugs; however I sure as hell could smother him with all of the familial kisses I wanted. It had been a long road to get to this point, to make him see that I was not going anywhere, to have him finally trust me. The day when he had first opened his arms to me for a hug, I had broken down crying in disbelief and gratitude. That had been two months ago and I savored each and every hug he offered me.

"Wait a minute," said Shepard, the tone of her voice bordering in disbelief and amusement. "You mean you two are _actually_ related?"

Joker pulled away from me but kept an arm around my shoulders as he gave the Commander a bright smile. "Commander, meet my great-aunt Estella. She's 200 years old but don't let her age fool you. She can still move well enough for an old fossil. The doc's been training her this past year. She's aced her EMT exams already so she can help the doc out with whatever. She'll make a great part of the team."

"I know who she is," said Shepard, a smile touching her lips as she focused her blue-gray eyes on me. "We met on the research station. She had watched my back in a situation where I had no idea what the hell was going on." She shifted her feet as she crossed her arms across her breasts. "So, a great-aunt huh?"

I was blushing slightly by this time but gave a nod in answer to the question. "Like I said before, it's too long of a story to get into. I gave you the highlights before you left, especially about my relationship with your ancestors. Je-fah-fah here is an actual descendant of mine. His bloodline can be traced all the way back to the loins of my little brother. A scary thought but one I am thankful to know."

Shepard blinked once and then twice, a stunned look on her face as she studied me. "Je-fah-fah?" She looked at Joker then, who simply rolled his eyes and shook his head. Apparently, that was the only part of my conversation that had come through as weird.

"He has an unneeded F in his name," I said by way of explanation and moved my hip to gently bump against his. He laughed and bumped me right back before pulling me in for a closer hug.

Shepard had watched our exchange and then a smile touched her lips. "I'm glad I won't be separating you two then. We'll need all the humor we can for this mission. Having you two aboard should make things interesting." There it was. I could see it in her eyes. She was hoping for something good to happen with us together. Oh boy, was she gonna be in for a treat.

Joker must have thought along the same lines because he had glanced at me and gave such a mischievous smile, his several times great-grandfather would have been proud. "Well, since the Commander is all for it, why don't we show her the ship?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is he looking at? ...is he looking at me? ...Nah, I'm seeing things...

Chapter 7

I could only stare in surprise as I looked at what surrounded me.

It was small.

It was cramped.

There were no windows. A single fluorescent light in the ceiling gave the only illumination and only a single ventilation duct in the upper right corner of the room recycled the air. It was essentially a janitor's closet. There was hardly room for a cot, a locker and a desk. However, that was what got me so excited. There was hardly any room for anything or _anyone_ else.

"I know this isn't much," said Dr. Chakwas as she stood just outside the door to the room. "However, I will need you close in case of an emergency and this was the best they could do on short notice."

"This is mine?" I asked, my smile growing as I looked around the small room that was to be my new home for who knew how long. I looked at the doctor and went toward her to grab her hands. "You're not kidding right? I have this all to myself? No crew quarters?"

"You'll have to share the ladies' bathroom," said the doctor as she started to laugh at my enthusiasm. "But yes, you will be alone in here. I am right beside you in the next room. My own room is not much bigger so you don't need to feel bad. Outside of the captain's quarters, they don't always think much for comfort when building these things but it is efficient to be right outside the medical bay."

"I don't care," I said with a smile as I released her hands and turned quickly to sit down on my tiny bed. "This is all mine. Me. By myself. No annoying snores. No sleep talking. No terrible foot odor. Just _me._ I'm _happy_."

The doctor started laughing outright at this point. She looked so happy. I think she was glad to finally be back in an environment in which she thrived. The _Normandy_ had been home for her and being back again must have been a balm for her. Sure, it was not the original ship, but there were a couple of familiar faces she knew. I was glad I was among those new faces she liked well enough.

"Well, get comfortable and then change into your uniform. You are officially on duty as member of my medical team."

"Yes ma'am," I said as I got to my feet and offered her a proper military salute. She could only laugh even more at that before she turned and left my tiny room, the door swishing closed behind her. The moment she was gone, I looked around the room once more before I went over to the locker to pull out my uniform. Some of my personal clothing had already been placed inside but I pushed those aside to grab the out-of-place ensemble. It was similar to the doc's outfit, a black and white affair with a high collar, long sleeves, a hem line that ended to about mid-thigh, and matching black gloves. The black pants were form fitting and the black boots were standard issued. It looked great on the doc. On me though...

I nearly groaned at the thought but went on getting dressed.

I was going to be getting those looks again...

-o-

The Medical Bay on the _Normandy SR-2_ was like an on-the-go hospital.

It had _everything_ state-of-the-art from surgical equipment, medication and supplies for treatment of nearly every known species, to comfortable gurneys and beds. The moment I walked into the room my eyes darted to the washing station to the right, to the equipment and beds on the far side of the room. The fluorescent lights from above gave the Medical Bay the feel of a surgical room but not anything that made it too uncomfortable. There were windows that lined the left hand side of the room; it looked out into the mess hall, the kitchen area, and the stairwell that led to the cryogenic pods that lined the corridor that led to the main battery. In front of the windows was a very long desk that gave enough room for two people to work comfortably.

Dr. Chakwas was sitting on the right hand side of the desk, looking over a data pad and occasionally moving over to type something on her console. The moment she heard my footsteps, she turned around and set her pad aside. "Ah, Moreno! Always timel-" She cut off the moment she caught sight of me and her gray eyes flicked over me before focusing on mine. "Ah- Dear... Have you _always_ been so naturally- er- _well endowed_?" She caught the frown on my face and she hastily threw up her hands in a gesture of peace. "My apologies, I meant no offense. It's just that... I- I had only ever seen you in your civilian clothing and they hide much..." She hesitated, looking as if she were trying to find the words. She cleared her throat and offered a sheepish smile. "And I don't recall any of the uniforms giving _that_ much lift..." She quirked an eyebrow when I turned to walk to the only available seat. "Or giving _that_ much support..."

I took a seat in the chair beside hers and groaned as I slumped down, trying to hide as best I could. I had caught her gaze lingering on my behind and I knew it was bad. "I warned you doctor. My body was not meant for these clothes. I can't believe I'm saying this but I miss the good ol' days when scrubs were non-flattering and bland. Just plain old pants and a shirt of thin, rough material that hid everything _and_ anything."

Dr. Chakwas started to laugh at that and she leaned over to give my thigh a pat. "Oh, you don't look bad Moreno. You just caught me by surprise. Stop slouching. There's no shame in being a shapely woman. Granted, there are not many shapely women around these days with better healthcare and food as in compared to your time but... there _are_ certain people... Well, let's just say you will not want for company should you wish it. So buck up and let's get started on your new training."

"Oh geez, Hacksaw, really?" I said with an embarrassed smile, a startled giggle escaping me as I sat up a little straighter. Surprisingly, I did feel better. The woman had a knack for it. "Thanks for the pep talk."

"My pleasure," she said before she turned in her seat to grab her data pad. "Now, last we left off we were going over the respiratory system of turians..."

-o-

Studying for my nursing exams were but one of my normal routines. The fact that it was now on a state-of-the-art space ship made it a slightly difference experience. Dr. Chakwas was working me a little harder than usual. It seemed being a part of the _Normandy_ crew was going to be an interesting experience to add under my belt. It was a guarantee that I would be helping to heal people of the non-human variety just based on Shepard's record. The doc was doing a severe rehash on all I had worked on the past year but, the goddess willing; I had retained all I had learned and then some. She was pleased with the results and was confident I would fare just fine here in the medical bay.

That didn't stop my doubts though and I kept on studying even when she was done with me and told me to take a break. I had ignored her and continued on studying my turian medical pages. She had told me twice again before finally giving up and resuming whatever work she had done before I had shown up. In all honesty, I was anxious to prove myself. Getting everything just right in regards to the health and care of this crew was essential. I couldn't afford to make a mistake. Taking a break at this point felt like a potential malpractice in the making to me.

Still, I was excited at the prospect of seeing new worlds and actually meeting the species of people I had studied about. It was going to be a new adventure in the chapter of my new life. I wasn't going to waste it by being inept at the job that I had been given...

The hours had passed since the _Normandy_ had taken off from the station. I have to say, this ship was definitely state-of-the-art. The ride had been so smooth and there was very little noise. It didn't feel as if we were in a ship at all and that's saying something. I continued on studying while the doc worked on whatever charts she had handy. Once in a while, she would ask me a random question about one of the topics we had covered and I would respond in turn with little hesitation, the answer being what she was looking for. I had not noticed the surprised and slightly curious glances she had given me at those times at first but when I did, she would simply smile and go back to work.

It was some time after that Commander Shepard had found her way into our cozy little area of the ship. I knew that she was taking a tour of her new ship. In all honesty, I didn't blame her. If I had the free time, I would be going up and down all over this ship to see what it had to offer. I was a curious woman by nature and technology was one of my most favorite things. It was like showing any other woman a beautiful piece of jewelry. For me, you show me a piece of the latest technology and I would be like putty in your hands. I did not have the flare for knowing how the stuff worked on the inside but I loved to play with it and figure out how it worked on my own. Shoot, the moment Randa had first given me my omni-tool I had been locked in my room for days just playing with every feature the thing had to offer.

As expected, Shepard's eyes had danced around the medical bay, taking in everything at once, before her gaze had settled on Dr. Chakwas and me sitting at our stations in front of the long desk. She glanced at me with a smile before she focused her gaze on the other woman. "Hey Doc!"

Dr. Chakwas had turned her chair to face Shepard, a welcome and bright smile on her face. "Hello Commander, it is good to see you."

Shepard had walked further into the room and stopped right beside my chair, her gaze still on the doctor. "Likewise," she said, her smile growing warm. "It is nice to see another familiar face on board." She focused her gaze on me and, to my surprise, her smile stayed warm. "How goes your studying Moreno?"

"Filled to the brim with data and more data," I said in reply, my smile filled with general affection as I set my pad aside. "It's a lot of info to take in but I'm managing."

"She hasn't taken a break since we boarded the ship," said Dr. Chakwas said, turning around in her chair to focus her attention back on her computer. "I advised her to go for a walk around the ship, get the blood flow back in her legs. She refused to listen."

A slight frown touched my features as I looked at the doc, knowing the game she was playing.

_Really, Hacksaw? Really?_

"Oh, is that so?" said Shepard, her gaze focusing back on me as her blue-gray eyes sparkled with mischief. I knew that look. I knew that look better than anyone alive today. That was the same look Alice would get in her eyes when she was planning something that meant a lot of bullshit for me. My alarm bells began to sound off in my head as it had in those long ago days. Whatever she was planning, it meant something that was not going to be a good experience for me.

"No," I said, not even acknowledging whatever she was thinking. I turned my chair away from her and picked up my data pad, focusing back on my studies.

"I didn't say anything," said Shepard from behind me, though I could feel her gaze on me.

"You don't need to," I said in reply as I continued moving over the files on my pad, looking for something else to occupy thoughts. I had had enough of turian anatomy now. I think the krogans were looking mighty appealing...

I continued moving through my files but the silence wore on. I finally sighed, set my pad aside, and turned around to face her. "I _know_ that look. Alice always had _that_ look on her face _just_ before she would talk me into something stupid that I _didn't_ want to do. It didn't matter how much I protested or complained. For some oddball reason, she would _always_ find a way to string me along on one of her inane plans. I think it was the guilt trips. It had to be the guilt trips."

I clasped my hands in front of me before I brought them against my right cheek, putting on a puppy dog look that would have made Joker laugh his ass off, while my voice took on a higher octave. "' _C'mon El, let's try that roller-coaster! It'll be lots of fun! Please? Oh, c'mon, don't you love me?'_ Or it was, ' _Estella! There's a wet t-shirt contest at the bar tonight! Let's try it! Please, El? Pretty please? If you were my best sister you would try it with me!_ " I dropped my hands and frowned, pointing a finger at her as I shook my head. “It always, _always_ , ended up with me being in some embarrassing situation that I could not live down for weeks." I turned away from her and went to type on my console, bringing up my recent studies. "170 years later, not much has changed. The answer is still no."

I did not see Shepard's face at that moment. If I had I would have seen the surprise, the sadness, and the slight smile on her face. I did hear her steps as she moved closer behind me and reached out to shut off my console. I frowned as I looked at her, my eyes throwing daggers at her. _If only looks could harm..._

"Well," she began, _that_ smile was on her face. That _horrible_ smile Alice always used to wear just before I would regret ever having going along with her. "Seeing as I am the Commander of this vessel, anything I say must be acted upon by my crew. And since you are now a part of my crew, as your Commander, I am telling you now: Ms. Moreno, you are going to need to suit up. We have a mission on Omega and you are coming along with us. Whether you like it or not."

I blinked once and then twice, my gaze flicking between hers, before I let out a huff and slumped in my chair. "Fuck me..."

-o-

Seriously, the universe was having a laugh at my expense.

The goddess had allowed me to come back to this plane of existence simply to laugh at me. There was no other reason for it.

I was standing here, dressed in my med tech's uniform with a few additions in regards to armor, gaping like a fish out of water. Apparently, Shepard hadn't thought too much ahead in regards to my joining her party. Randa was with us of course and laughing her ass off in that very soft, choking way that never allowed a person to breathe. I would get her later for this. Of course, she had every reason to laugh. I was out of place no matter where we went. I was going to get attention, be it the negative or positive, who the hell knew? But attention being brought on my person was the most likely to happen regardless. Oh how right I was...

I was in the basic armor I had when Shepard and I had first met back on the research station. Which meant it physically covered very little save for my immediate area, which was my torso, my arms, and my thighs. My breasts were not accounted for in this fact and a nice sized bump was on display thanks to the tight outfit. The shields on my armor were divine, the very same that Randa used so she could show off that genetically perfect body of hers. I had the armor just in case the obvious situation would present itself in regards to combat and my shields would fail. The armor defended me well enough from basic shots to get the job done. Too bad the shields and armor didn't cover from _view_ everything else that was on display. It was one of those situations that made me wonder if there was an all-powerful being that was writing my life in such a way to make me fall into these situations. No, seriously. If there was, I would shoot them in the face right now.

The reason for my clear frustration was from the moment we had arrived on Omega – which literally smelled like a pisshole – we were accosted by a less than notable gentleman of the salarian variety. He was an ill kept gentleman who was looking for an easy way in to whatever path he was trying to find on this rock. Queue the muscle: a batarian that smelled even worse than the salarian that he chased off, who greeted Shepard by name and advised us to head to a club called _Afterlife_. When Shepard had questioned how the batarian had known who she was, the male simply said she was not as subtle as she thought and had been tagged the moment she came into the Terminus systems. From there, he advised us to head the club, where the "leader" Aria would be awaiting us.

The smelly ass had gone on his merry way but not before Shepard's eye had caught a particular figure at the end of the corridor we were standing in. Shepard had recognized him from whatever dossier she had been given and immediately went over to him. Randa and I, being her ever faithful party members, followed after her. Her target was a human just from the look of him. He was beating up on some batarian with the accuracy of a street thug. The batarian had caught sight of Shepard and pleaded for her help before the human male kicked him.

"No one said you can talk jackass," was the voice that spoke at that moment. It was an accent that brought to my mind of a person growing up in some part of England. The "Queen's English" I believe was the term for the proper way of speaking, almost in the way the doc spoke, though I could be wrong. He spoke more from a working class dialect, a type of person who knew hard labor and wasn't afraid to get dirty to survive.

"You Zaeed Massani?" asked Shepard, catching the attention of the man before us.

He had raised his head, his hair closely cropped to the scalp and bearing some silver among the brown, before he turned to face us. "Yeah, that's me," he said in reply. Goddess, this was a man who had lived a _hard_ life. He was an older human male compared to my physical appearance of thirty-one. He _looked_ somewhere in his early to mid-fifties but who the hell could tell for sure. He could have been in his thirties or forties and it would be hard to tell. There were scars all over his face. A particularly nasty one that went around his right brow and ended just below his right cheekbone. Whatever wound that had been appeared to be the cause of the milky whiteness of his right eye. His left was the color of a soft brown. Alert and clear. Still something told me that, though he was blind in one eye, he could still aim well enough.

His gaze had traveled over all of us, though it lingered slightly on me, before he looked back at Shepard. "You must be Commander Shepard. I hear we have a galaxy to save."

"I've assumed you've been briefed?" Shepard had asked, her blue-gray eyes studying the bounty hunter with interest.

Massani didn't even blink as he shifted slightly on his feet, taking a more relaxed stance. "I've done my homework. Cerberus sent me everything I needed to know," he said just before his gaze traveled over to me. "Although... not everything."

I had ignored it. It was a simple enough statement that could have pertained to anything he had spoken of. It was just coincidence that he had looked at me the moment he said it. At least, that was my hope.

"My contacts told me we were picking up one man, not two," said Shepard, focusing her gaze on the batarian that was still pleading for his life.

"Batarian delinquent," said Massani. "Pissed off someone rich enough to hire me to go after him. And for my bringing-him-in-alive rates even." The batarian continued to plead for his life but the man had turned right around and shoved his boot in the batarian's face. "I said shut it!"

"What's your relationship with Cererbus?" asked Shepard, the doubt and curiosity could be heard in her tone.

"Easy," said Massani, taking a step forward to Shepard, though his gaze had quickly flicked to me with interest. "Cerberus is paying me a lot of money to help you on your mission. That's the long and short." He had paused slightly, his gaze lingering on me with even more interest the moment he had gotten closer to Shepard and, by default, closer to me. I couldn't stop the shiver of unpleasantness that ran through me. The man was eying me like a piece of meat freshly cut from the deli.

"Not many mercs would take a suicide mission for the pay."

"Most mercs don't get an offer like the one Cerberus sent me," he had said as he took a step away and focused his attention on the batarian. "This mission doesn't sound like good business but... your Illusive Man can move a lot of credits."

Shepard had taken a step forward then, reaching out a hand to shake the merc's. "Good to have you Zaeed." The man had reached out and shook her hand in turn. "We have a lot to do."

"That's what they tell me," said Massani as he pulled out his gun and looked at his prisoner. "I assume the Illusive Man had told you about our arrangement?"

Of course, this started a completely different conversation where it turned out that Cerberus had agreed to help the merc on a mission he had before had. Apparently, Massani was given the task of taking out the head of a group called the Blue Suns. Apparently, this leader had taken control of some group of people where he was using them as his own slave labor. Massani had to take them out and was told he would get the help by Cerberus. Without telling Shepard...

I swear, at that moment, I had brought my palm to my face and slapped it hard in annoyance. The noise had caught the merc's attention and it was that moment his prisoner had tried to make a break for it. The batarian barely made it several steps before he was shot down by the merc. I was right; he had great aim for being blind in one eye.

"I better get this thing in before it starts to stink," he had said, walking past us with barely a glance. "I'll be locked and loaded next time you're ready to get some killin' done." I had thought that was all he would say. I had thought that I had been imagining the interested looks he had given me.

I was _dead_ wrong.

It was at that point the merc had turned his attention to me and allowed a smile to touch that weathered face of his. "By the way sweetheart, gotta say. Haven't seen a woman shaped like you are in nearly 25 years. Just enough cushion... Goddam'..." He had ignored the blush that must have been on my cheeks, and the gaping of my mouth, since he turned right around and continued on walking to the now dead prisoner. "This mission may have more perks than I thought..."

The universe was laughing at me at that moment. The goddess was rolling on her celestial floor and barely breathing.

I know that Randa was right now.

She was holding onto her sides and laughing so hard she had tears coming down her eyes. Shepard was a little more dignified about the whole thing but she was still fighting a smile.

I hated them both so much right now...

Well, I had to look on the bright side. It couldn't get any worse than this...

-o-

No.

I was wrong.

It had gotten worse.

Miranda Lawson, my friend and trainer, for whatever reason, had suddenly declared she had received an important message and there was something she needed to attend to at that very moment that could not wait. She had looked at Shepard then and asked if she would mind if she sent along a replacement party member. There was something in the look that passed between them because Shepard had smiled and given a nod in agreement. Before I could even get in a word edgewise, Randa was off on her merry back to the ship and the Commander and I were standing in the smelly corridor waiting for Randa's replacement.

"I'm going to get you back for this," I said as I looked at Shepard, not liking the amused smile on her lips.

"I don't know what you mean," she said, her smile growing a little wider the moment I turned my back on her and muttered under my breath.

It didn't take very long before a familiar voice grated on my ears and I cringed.

"Sweetheart, I haven't been gone an hour and you're already missing me?" Zaeed had come to a stop beside me, his gaze focusing on my behind before moving its way up to meet mine. I was frowning something fierce. He simply smirked before casting his gaze to Shepard. "Your other lady friend met me on the way to your ship. Said you wanted my help with recruiting these Archangel and Mordin fellas." His smirk had grown then as he focused his gaze back on me and settled himself into a relaxed stance. "I was wonderin' why the sudden change when I remembered this shapely sweetheart with you. Figured she wanted me on board so who am I to deny a beautiful woman?"

I stilled for a moment before I turned to look at the merc, my eyes blazing with indignation. "First off, the name is Moreno. Not sweetheart. Not beautiful. Don't look at my ass. Don't look at my breasts. Keep your hands to yourself and your eyes on any potential targets that mean to kill us. Do that and we'll get along just fine."

He had the nerve to smile even more at that but he did take a step back. "Got a temper. I like that in a woman..." He winked at me before he passed a glance at Shepard. "So, are we ready?"

"Ready when you are," said Shepard, passing a glance my way and looking as if she wanted to laugh so badly.

"Shepard, I'm always ready," said Zaeed. "Though from what I hear, sweetcheeks over here doesn't have much in the way of experience. This'll be a good run for her. I'll help her how I can."

I turned away from them and started walking down the corridor, following the thumping base of what could only be music from a local nightclub. I was groaning and wishing I had never left the ship by the time I heard this:

"Goddam'... That's a right sin... No offense Shepard but my eyes are gonna be focused on Moreno's backside from here on out. Nothing personal but gotta make sure nothing harms that sweet, juicy arse of hers."

Oh just shoot me...


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nightclubs, strippers, and fighting gangs... Nice to know some things don't change even in the wider galaxy.

Chapter 8

_Afterlife_ reminded me of one of those seedy gentleman's clubs in the bad part of a small town.

You know the one.

The one that everyone denied existed in their little slice of perfect suburban paradise and yet most of the male population- and some of the female- went there in the after hours to get a taste of the forbidden. It was tasteless- even nasty- but a necessary part of the town. Now, imagine that little seedy club being the town hall of an even _seedier_ town that offered all of that and then some.

_Afterlife_ was the result.

It didn't take long to find Aria T'Loak, the asari that ran the asteroid on an unofficial level. She was located in the part of the club that had heavy security and was located high above everything and everyone else. She was one of those women- if you could call a mono-gendered feminine looking alien a woman- who was full of herself to the point of nausea. She was like all asari- beautiful to look at and on the slender side of the weight scale. Her skin tone was a bit hard to make out thanks to the club's frantic lighting- a mix of bluish hues, hard to say.

Shepard had done her duty as leader and went to speak with Aria about getting info on our current target, Archangel. I couldn't hear much since Zaeed and I were not allowed up to the sitting area. The pounding music didn't help either. However, I was aware of several pairs of batarian eyes looking at me and when I say several I _mean_ several. Each batarian male that stood guard for Aria had two pairs of eyes in their big brown/yellow striped heads and several nostrils that were not at all appealing to look at. They were leering at me with obvious interest.

I suppressed a shudder as I avoided looking at any of them and kept my focus on Shepard, who was still speaking with the unofficial "queen" of Omega. I was never good at reading lips but I thought I could make out "he's... trouble" on Aria's lips before the rest became a garbled mess, too quick for me to catch much less understand.

A firm grasp on my ass brought me right out of my intense focus and I whirled around on instinct, pulling out my heavy pistol. It came to a stop against the gut of a human male, who looked surprised at the sight of it. He focused his gaze on me as he slowly released my ass and held up his hands in surrender. "S-sorry... I-I t-thought you were o-one of the dancers..."

"Touch me again asshole," I said, my voice taking on a steely tone as I released the safety to the trigger. "We'll see how far you make it out in one piece."

The human patron backed off before he quickly turned on his heel and ran off. I glanced at the batarians,who stood guard and frowned at them. Goddess, they simply continued to leer at me.

_Stupid asses..._

I kept my pistol armed should another idiot decide to mistake me for a dancer.

"Sweetcheeks, that was downright sexy," said Zaeed as he moved closer to my side. "You sure this is your first real run?"

I didn't respond at first but I did glance at him and studied him. He had that look in his eyes again, as if he were imagining all kinds of things I really didn't want to know about. The frown on my face had grown worse. "My second. And my name is-"

"Moreno, got it," he said, a slight smile touching his weathered lips. "Sweet cheeks just suits you better." He cast his gaze to the batarians that continued to watch us before glancing back at me. He folded his hands across his armored chest as his stance relaxed slightly, though I could see the tension in his form. He was always on alert for any particular threat. "So, you're familiar with the heavy pistol, that's good. Any other weapons you know how to handle? It's better to have the pistol for backup if you wanna make it through a fight in one piece."

I focused my gaze on him before I holstered my pistol and wordlessly reached to the holster on my back. I withdrew a submachine gun and it unfolded itself automatically, readying itself for use. The batarian guards had raised their own weapons in response but I didn't acknowledge them. I stared at the gun before glancing at Zaeed in response to his question. It was a basic model, one that Miranda was using and had trained me on along with the pistol. Since heavy pistols and submachines guns were the staple for basic warfare at this time, it seemed a logical choice to start with. I was aware that there were upgrades that could be done to my weapons to make them more efficient and deadly. At this time though, so early on in my second true field experience, it was better for me to become more familiar with the basic models I had.

"Fair enough," said Zaeed, an amused smiling playing on his face. "It's a good start. But you're a small woman sweetheart, one with a fair amount of cushion. You gotta be quick on your feet to use those more effectively."

"I know," I said as I holstered the back in its proper place, ignoring the batarian guards that still kept their weapons trained on me. "I'd love to find something else that would suit me better but Miranda was the only one who had the opportunity to train me and those are the only weapons she knows. She has the added bonus of being a biotic so they work well for her."

"Have you thought about training up on sniper rifles? Does heavy damage from a good distance. Don't need to worry about getting your pretty arse all riddled with as many bullets." He studied me thoughtfully but there was no hint of that want in his eyes. This time he was sizing me up for a more useful purpose. "You could even get away with an assault rifle if you ever got caught in close combat. Since you wouldn't move quickly you'd want to do as much damage as possible from close range...” He continued studying me before he gave a nod, more to himself than to me.”All right then, you convinced me. I'll train you myself."

"Wait, what?"

He smirked at the shocked looked on my face and I could have sworn he would have laughed if he wanted. There was so much amusement in his eyes. "I ain't gettin' any younger. I might need a good deed to slip into the book of life when this ride is over. I'll hone your skills with weapons you can actually use. This'll be free of charge. I've already made a pretty penny with this suicide mission Shepard has us on and I doubt she'll use me on every mission we get. I'll train you when we make it planet side. Gotta keep my own skills sharp. Might as well pass them along."

"Why?" I asked, generally in shock. I was confused. Why would this well-traveled, beaten up, old merc want to help me? I was nothing more than a nurse. A nurse in training mind you. I wasn't looking to get caught up in any battles directly.

Zaeed dropped his arms and the smile faded from his face, his eyes focusing on me with a seriousness I was not expecting. "You're caught up in whatever shit Shepard's gonna be facing. Guarantee you'll do what you're gonna do to make sure she survives. I see the way you are with her and I've only been around a very short time. You're like a mother varren watching her cub from a distance. You know they need to move on their own but you will be there in a heartbeat to tear shit apart should something harm her. You've kept her in your sights since we got here and looking quite keen in making sure no one messes with her. I can respect that. Not many people are that honorable these days."

I blinked in surprise, not even realizing I had done such a thing. I glanced back up at Shepard, where she was still talking with Aria. "She's... one of the few people in this galaxy I have left of my family," I said after a moment, not looking at the merc beside me. "I just... I can't let her get harmed; no matter how much more experienced she is than me. It's stupid to think so. She's been surviving on her own just fine before I met her. Still, I'm here now. I'll do what I can to try to keep her safe."

"Good," he said in agreement. "In order to do that, you have to train up your own strengths to be an asset to her. That's where I come in. Don't worry sweetheart, I'll have you poppin' that last heatsink with the best of them by the time I'm done with you."

I would have blushed at the double meaning but instead a laugh bubbled up from my chest and I shook my head at him. "All right then," I said with a smile as my laughter finally died down. "I'll hold you to it."

-o-

There was something to be said about the occupants of this universe.

Should there be men, of any species, that hold themselves in unwarranted high regard, their attitude toward the fairer sex, no matter the species, would be derogatory.

Case in point: Signing up for the recruitment of freelancers by three of the local gangs to take down Archangel.

The batarian who was signing on freelancers, who was a member of one of the gangs called the Blue Suns, had taken a look at Shepard said, "Well, aren't you sweet? You're in the wrong place honey. Strippers' quarters are that way."

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who took offense; the look on Shepard's face was one of indignation.

_Ha! Not so funny now, is it?_

I could hear Zaeed's chuckle and leaned over to smack him on his armored bicep. He looked at me and quieted right down, though I could still see the amusement in his eyes. I couldn't help the smile on my own face soon as I heard this from Shepard: "Show me yours, tough guy."

I glanced at her and saw that she had pulled out her pistol. She was turning it over thoughtfully as she stared at it. "I bet mine is bigger..." It had to be a trick of my eyes but I could have sworn I saw a soft red glowing line- which looked to be one of her surgical scars- underneath the skin of her jawline at that moment.

Huh... I don't remember seeing that a moment ago.

My worry had grown slightly as I knew what it was and the reaction that had brought it about. I had been warned it might happen with me. It was different actually seeing it for myself.

"Impressive," said the Blue Suns trooper as he turned his attention back to his console. "So you're here to fight, then?"

"You could say that," said Shepard in reply.

That was all the batarian needed to hear before he went off on a rehearsed speech of the fee for signing up, collecting the credits once the job was done, and our friends not receiving our share should we die. We would need our own weapons and armor- which the batarian commented that it looked like we had that covered- and that signing up on this job would not make us a member of any of the three gangs. We were freelancers, period. Good. Last thing I needed was being a member of some gang on my rap sheet when it was time for me to leave this plane of existence again.

There was a brief conversation between the batarian and Shepard as to why the three merc groups were going after Archangel, where the attack was taking place, and how to get to the location. The more I heard about this Archangel, the more I was beginning to like him. He was doing his best to fuck up the plans of the three groups that were doing anything and everything to make an easy credit. Which meant the majority of it fell under ways of living that were making the lives of the few honest folks on this rock more difficult.

We were directed to go to a transport depot outside the club, where another Blue Suns trooper would be waiting to take fresh new freelancers to their deaths. On the way out of the room, Shepard had brief heart-to-heart with a young man who looked in his late teens, who was signing up for the job to take down Archangel. She had taken the pistol he had just bought and jammed it with a couple of quick jabs, her parting words telling the kid to get his money back and that he'd thank her for it later. Well, that was sweet. Hoped he listened to her...

Outside of the club, we made our way to the depot and found the shuttle. We boarded it and were soon on our way to a very different part of this seedy little rock. We were met by another Blue Suns trooper, who explained to us the real situation about the attack on Archangel. Apparently, his base of operations was down a boulevard and the only way in was over a very exposed bridge. Needless to say, it was a killing ground and it was then that I began to feel my unease.

As Zaeed was quick to point out to me earlier, I was not quick enough on my feet to put my weapons to more effective use. My only efficient strategy at this time was to take up the rear of the group, cover their backs, and hope to the goddess that Shepard and Zaeed would draw most of the fire. I pulled out my SMG and got it ready, watching Shepard as she got some more info on the current situation from the trooper. There wasn't much else to know other than the fact that Archangel was going to need some help if he was going to make it off this rock alive.

As the trooper went to his shuttle to go wait for more freelancers, Zaeed turned his attention to Shepard, his weathered face showing some amusement. "In's gonna be easy. Out's gonna be a bitch."

I couldn't help the nervous laugh that escaped me just then as I got my weapon ready. Shepard allowed a hint of smile as she looked at the both of us. "Let's find him first. Then we'll figure out how to get back," she said in reply before she turned her attention to me. "El, this is gonna be a hell of a tougher run than the station. These aren't hacked mechs we'll be dealing with. I'll need you to keep your eyes peeled and your trigger finger ready when I give the signal. You'll do fine. Zaeed and I will keep you covered."

My heart gave a funny jump when I realized that she had called me by my nickname. I wasn't even expecting her to even call me by my first name. That simple little fact meant she trusted me more than I had thought possible. I wonder if she had looked into my records. Well, now it didn't matter. I simply smiled and hoisted my gun. "Lead the way, Commander."

As Shepard began leading us away from the transport depot and down toward the boulevard, a synthesized female voice had broken through our comms. "Shepard, I've scanned the area, but I am unable to plot any other paths to Archangel."

"Guess we're going with the mercs," said Shepard as she led us down one of the lowly lit corridors that would take us to the boulevard.

The smile that lit up my face was one of general excitement as I followed after the Commander, my nervousness briefly forgotten as I focused my attention on the voice in my ear. "Hey Dee, how are you?"

There was a brief silence before the voice responded to me, the inflections taking on an almost confused tenor. "I am... well, Ms. Moreno." There was another moment of silence before EDI continued on speaking. "I am still unable to find the reason you ask me that every time you speak with me."

"It's called being genuinely interested," I said in response, my smile growing with each passing moment. The _Enhanced Defense Intelligence_ program _,_ or EDI, was an AI that had been installed in the _Normandy SR-2_ as a not so subtle way to check all the goings-on within the ship and most likely reporting it back to Cerberus. What I was quick to catch on the moment I was introduced to EDI was that, though she was an AI that had prohibitions in place in her system to block her from going rogue on the ship, there was that spark of awareness in her. She was curious about the humans she had been tasked with watching, and I was using that curiosity to my advantage each and every time I spoke with her. I haven't gotten her to call me by my first name yet but she _was_ responding to my redundant inquiries about her well-being. That was a first step. "I would like to know how my favorite AI is doing. We don't talk all the time."

"We talk a sufficient amount in the medical bay, Ms. Moreno," said EDI, though I could detect a hint of an amused inflection in her voice. "There is no need to inquire about my well-being every time we speak. However... I thank you for asking so frequently."

"Can you ladies wait to hold your little girl chat _after_ this mission is over?" asked Shepard, though I could see the smile on her face.

"My apologies Shepard," said EDI, "Ms. Moreno, we will continue this discussion when you are back in the medical bay. In the meantime, I have discovered that the heavy mechs and gunships the merc groups have in their possession have a considerable amount of fire power. I will suggest that weakening them before leaving the barricades will increase your chances of getting out relatively unharmed."

That was all Shepard needed to hear as we neared one of the first barricades. She stopped us and turned around to face me, her eyes were intense. She was in full commander mode. "El, are you familiar with hacking and bypassing security systems?"

I allowed the smug smile to touch my lips briefly as holstered my gun. "It was one of the first things I learned after getting my own omni-tool," I said as rolled my shoulders and cracked my neck. Goddess, there was so much tension there. All of this anxiety was not helping me to stay limber and ready.

"Good. I want you to find the YMIR mech the Eclipse have in their possession and reconfigure its targeting parameters."

"Fuck it up so it attacks everything within its immediate sight. Got it," I said with a smile as I gave her a mocking salute.

She smiled in return and shook her head in amusement. "Zaeed and I will scout the other groups, see what we can find. Meet us on the way to Sergeant Cathka."

"On it," I said and turned away, heading off in the opposite direction of where the Blood Pack and the Blue Suns' bases were located. Making my way through an unlocked series of doors found me within the presence of a salarian speaking to his troops about the coming attack. He must be leader of the Eclipse group here. A few of the members eyed me with curiosity as I made my way through their ranks but no one attempted to stop me. They must have known I was a freelancer and goddess knows I didn't look threatening in the least. It was surprisingly easy to find the heavy mech and bypass the security in its system to disable its targeting parameters. No one was even watching the damn thing. It was just in a room all by itself. I had also located a few goodies that I was sure we would be able to use later on. I hacked into the systems to attain the data and made my way back out of the base as nonchalantly as when I wandered in. Goddess, either these were witless idiots or I pulled off the role of a confused newbie even better than I thought.

I hurried on my way toward the third barricade and found Shepard and Zaeed were already on their way toward where the gunship was located. I flashed a smile at one of the freelancers who were standing guard as I passed him, catching him off guard, before I moved quickly to follow up with my group. Zaeed glanced at me in question when I came to a stop beside him and I gave him a wink in response before a slight nod. He smirked in amusement as Shepard went on to talk to the batarian Blue Suns "sergeant" named Cathka. There were a few moments of pointless conversation, mostly trying to figure out what the plan was for the attack on Archangel. It was then that Cathka had a received a message from the infiltration team and it was "Go, go, go!" for the freelancers. They really didn't move in much of a hurry. Couldn't blame them.

Zaeed had watched the group head toward the bridge before he glanced at me, a particular look on his face. That look said, "Are you shittin' me?" I wanted to laugh but bit my lip to keep from making a sound. He smirked at that but thankfully said nothing.

"Archangel's got quite a surprise waiting for him," said Cathka as he pushed away from his console and pressed a finger to his helmet. His visor had darkened then. "But that means no more waiting for me." He turned his back on us as he made his way toward the gunship. "Gotta get her back to 100% before Tarak decides he needs her again."

The frown on my face was instant as I stared at the back of the batarian "sergeant," who had gone to work back on the gunship. As I had noted earlier, there was something to be said about certain occupants of this universe. In particular, men like this one... They were smug assholes, plain and simple. Sometimes, they deserved what got thrown at them.

Off to the side, I caught the spark of a welding tool on a counter that was ready for use on the gunship. Without skipping a beat, I moved past Shepard and grabbed the welding tool before making my way to Cathka, holding the welding tool low and behind me and out of the batarian's immediate line of vision. He glanced at me in question when I stopped right beside him, just as he was about to kneel to get to work on the lower hull of the gunship. I smiled at him as I leaned forward, the hump of my breasts catching his immediate attention. "Honey, you look like you're working too hard," I said in a simpering voice, the urge to vomit threatening to come up for even sounding like a brainless airhead. "Do you need a nice, _long,_ break? Maybe I can help you with that..."

"Er- well, I-" was all the batarian got out before I thrust the welding tool against his armored back. He let out a terrible howling as the electric current from the welding tool coursed through him and then he slumped over to the floor in a dead faint. If he was actually dead or not, I didn't particularly care at the moment. I glanced back at Shepard and motioned for her to lead on.

Shepard looked at the body before glancing at me. She let out a huff of laughter before moving on past me without saying a damn thing. However, I saw the approval in her eyes and knew I had done the right thing. Zaeed had followed on after her and he glanced at me with a proud smirk on his weathered face. "Nice one, sweetheart."


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goddess... That voice...

Chapter 9 

We had followed the freelancers toward the bridge and watched as they tried to attack Archangel. I couldn't help the worry that rose up within me as we neared the bridge. "Our little Angel doesn't have much time left," I said as I pulled out my SMG and got it ready for use. Of course, I was well aware that my targets were going to be a little closer to home. My heart was already racing.

"What the hell are we waiting for?" asked Zaeed as he got his own rifle ready.

Already the freelancers were on the attack. One even had a rocket launcher though he didn't know how to aim it properly. The explosive went sailing into the air, past where the target was, and exploded in the background of the building where Archangel was holed up in. Archangel had emerged from his cover unharmed but I couldn't make out much from our current position. All I could see was a figure in cobalt blue armor and the next moment the freelancer with the launcher had gone down with barely a grunt, a clear shot to his head.

All right then, he had excellent aim. Nothing to worry about. I still couldn't help the shiver that ran through me as I got my gun ready. _Goddess, please don't let him focus his aim at me..._

Shepard smiled as she started to crack her knuckles. "Come on, we'll give these guys a surprise of our own," she said before casting a glance my way, slight worry in those eyes. "When I give the signal El."

I gave a nod in understanding and clicked off the safety to my gun. Well, here comes hell...

-o-

We had followed the freelancers toward the building that Archangel called his base of operations. We didn't fire at the guy like the freelancers did but imagine my irritation when one of his shots had found its mark against my shields. One shot and they went down like a stack of cards _plus_ I was thrown back from the force of it. It wasn't a big deal, I wasn't hurt, but it was still annoying as hell to be thrown back like that. I didn't move as quickly as Shepard and Zaeed enough as it was, having me slow down even more was of no help at all. Thankfully, the shots weren't often and even a couple had hit Shepard's and Zaeed's shields. Most of the shots from Archangel were directed at the force of freelancers ahead of us.

We were entering the building and heading down an entryway when Shepard finally gave the signal. Fuck me sideways and call me Diamond, I was dreading this moment. The moment Shepard had holstered her current weapon to withdraw her launcher; it was hell or high water time. She let loose an explosive that decimated a couple of the people ahead of us. I had heard one of the freelancers shout, "They're with Archangel!" before hell had finally broke loose and tried to make us her bitch. Shepard had switched back to her assault rifle and was doing some pretty heavy damage with Zaeed.

I took up the rear as planned, my SMG getting a good workout as I followed after the veterans who took down the freelancers the further we went. There were a few who still managed to try to get a shot in when we passed, a few hitting my shields, but I took them down with little problem since they were already heavily wounded. We ran up a stairwell to a second floor corridor where one of the freelancers was trying to hack into a locked door. A few shots from Shepard were all it took to take him out and it was a clear path to the man who was causing so much trouble for three of the most notorious gangs on Omega.

Shepard led the way through the now open door and Zaeed and I followed close behind her. The moment we emerged into a spacious sitting room, and turned toward the balcony that Archangel was held up in, we all pointed our weapons in his direction. He had glanced back at us, his face obscured by a cobalt blue helmet with a black visor, as Shepard took a few steps toward him. "Archangel?"

He held up one finger to us, one of three visible on his hand that I was able to make out, and even I understood the universal sign for "wait a moment." He placed his hand back on his sniper rifle and waited a few moments before he let loose one shot. I could hear a cry in shock out in the distance and then silence. Judging from his appearance, it would be safe to say he was a turian. I had done enough recent studying on their anatomy and it wasn't hard to make out the distinctness of his armor. There weren't many in the galaxy that had that large, high collar around their necks.

After completing the shot, Archangel set the butt of his rifle down on the floor and stood up on the balls of his feet. I could see the large two-toed, booted feet were of a kind that reminded me of animals back on Earth where their hind legs were arched to the point that they stood naturally in such a way. It was a distinct feature among krogans, salarians, quarians and turians. Asari, humans, and perhaps the volus, were the only relevant species who stood on the entire arch of their foot.

When he stood to his full height all I could think was: _Holy shit, was this guy tall..._

As he walked toward us in a relaxed manner, reaching up to pull his helmet off, I wondered how tall he really was. I was a short woman by human standards, standing several inches just over the five foot range. This male was well over six feet in height, no question. Very easy for a woman like me to feel intimidated. As he pulled his helmet off, Shepard and Zaeed took the initiative to holster their weapons and walk toward the male. I was a little more hesitant to holster my own but if these two veterans didn't see a threat, I guess I could relax.

Archangel had set his helmet aside on a counter and went to take a seat beside it on the arm of a much abused soda. He set his feet up on the cushion in front of him, setting his rifle right by his leg as he took on a relaxed stance. He looked like most turian males with the distinct earth-tone color to his thick skin and plates, his head bearing the crest of horns that flowed out to a point behind his scalp, and the mandibles that surrounded his mouth and protected his very sharp teeth beneath his lip plates. Around what would be his nose, his mandibles, and jawline, there was a distinct dark blue tattoo that signified his family's colony of origin. His eyes were a shade of blue that ranged from sky to sapphire, depending on how you looked at him. The blue visor over his left eye seemed to be a piece of equipment that helped with his aiming. There was nothing remarkable about him that made him stand out from his fellow turian. At this moment, his brow ridges were raised slightly in what seemed to be surprise.

"Shepard," he began, his deep voice having a distinct flanging effect that immediately set my heart a flutter. Oh _hell_ no. For all that is holy and good in the goddess' eyes, this turian had the voice of smooth velvet. I was aware of the flanging effect their voices were capable of through the translators but I had never heard it for myself. After all, Cerberus wasn't a pro-human group for nothing.

"I thought you were dead," he continued.

_Oh shit..._

I think I just had a mini-orgasm in my panties. This guy's voice just wrapped around my senses and stopped all rational thought. I had _not_ been expecting to feel this sudden rush of attraction my body was giving in response to the _sound_ of him.

Shepard had come to a stop several feet from the obvious turian male that was so relaxed in front of us and the look of surprise on her face was no joke. "Garrus!" she cried out, holding out her hands in welcome.

Oh no, she knew this male with the hot as butter voice? Oh fuck me and fuck me hard... I was screwed anyway.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in surprise, her eyes traveling over the turian male in worry and concern.

"Just keeping my skills sharp," he said in response, that deep voice of his making my beating heart beat even faster. I was sure I had a slight blush on my face as I tried, but failed, to keep from staring at the turian in front of me. "A little target practice."

"You OK?" asked Shepard, the concern for her now known friend was coming through clear as crystal. This must have been one of her old crew mates from the original _Normandy_. I hadn't looked into detail on the records of her crewmates when I had studied up on her previous missions. I just knew that she was keen on working with other species if it meant to get the job done efficiently.

"Been better," he said, the tension now visible on his face as he glanced away to look at Zaeed before his eyes fell upon me. I was sure my cheeks were flaming pink by how warm they felt but I held his gaze, trying to gain back some semblance of normalcy. Turians were not the most appealing to look at, even more so if you thought of them from a clinical perspective. I just had to remember all the data I had studied on their anatomy. It would help to calm down the sudden rush of hormones his voice was bringing out in me. Still, it was difficult every time he opened his mouth. I hadn't felt this much attraction to someone since I had first met my ex-husband in college. What the hell was the matter with me? He was a turian for goddess' sake. They were not meant to be appealing to those outside of their own species. Yet, here was one that was clearly getting under my skin. Goddess, I had problems...

"But, it sure is good to see a friendly face," he continued, his eyes finally settling back on Shepard. "Killing mercs is hard work... Especially on my own."

I took in a deep breath and tried to relax myself.

This was fine.

No problem.

It was easy enough to find the reason I would be affected by a voice that could burn the thong off of any female. I had a weakness for such a thing by default. My ex had a voice that made me peel off my underwear in less than a minute. Before that, it was a high school boyfriend that merely grumbled deep sweet nothings in my ear and my legs had spread apart. I had a weakness. That was all right. I just had to be stronger than this that's all. Of course, it would mean having to deafen my hearing...

The conversation continued between the two old friends and I had decided the best thing for me to do was to ignore everything that was coming out of Garrus' mouth. I focused on the view beyond the balcony, studying the shadows for any signs of any more freelancers or members of the merc groups. I recited each and every organ within a salarian female while I did this, my nerves now calming down as I took on the clinical stance of a nurse. This was like any other surgical procedure: Look at it from a medical perspective and the emotions get pushed aside to get the job done.

While they spoke, a shifting of movement in the distance beyond the bridge caught my eye. I withdrew my SMG and clicked off the safety, the noise catching everyone's attention. "We have some company on their way, Commander," I said, the sound of my voice was low and distant, the frown on my face a telling sight. I glanced at Shepard and found the Commander looking at me with faint surprise and confusion. I wondered if it was the way I was looking or how I sounded but decided not to comment on it. This was my cloak of an RN when the situation was more dire than expected. It helped when dealing with those terminally ill cases and the emotions were a hindrance instead of help.

She and Garrus had moved toward the railing to see for themselves and Zaeed had walked over to me, withdrawing one of his own weapons from the holster on his back. "Good eye sweetheart," he said before he handed me his weapon. "Here."

I looked at the sniper rifle in surprise as I holstered my gun and took the rifle, glancing up at him in question. He smirked as he pulled out his assault rifle and got it ready. "Lesson number one has begun, Moreno. Until you get your own, use mine. First rule of thumb: Scope is your best tool. Use it."

I allowed the amusement to seep through as I armed the rifle and gave a nod. Well, seems it was time for me to start training again...

-o-

Treating this sniper rifle like a piece of surgical equipment made it easier in taking down the waves of the merc troops that were coming at us. It wasn't hard to figure out how to use the rifle and within a few short waves of idiots, my aim and shooting was vastly improved as compared to using the pistol or SMG. I think, dare I say it, I had fallen in love. The new weapon of choice was making my training a hell of a lot more effective this time around than anything I had done with Randa this past year.

Shepard had certainly noticed the difference and she was calling out warnings to me when there was a trooper just beyond the vision of my scope that I needed to take down. They went down without so much as a goodnight. I would be lying if I said it was easy though. There were a few times I had taken a couple of shots after my shields had gone down but it was nothing to be immediately concerned after the medi-gel had automatically been dispensed. I just wondered how bad the bruising would be afterward.

There was a brief lull in the battle where Garrus had reloaded his rifle and aimed over the railing. Something heavy had just emerged hovering from the darkness of the bridge's corridor and landed with an even heavier thud among the bodies that littered the ground. It unfolded itself and aimed the guns it was equipped with. Garrus let out a low growl as he focused the scope of his rifle. "Damn it. They're sending out the heavy mechs."

"Estella?" I heard Shepard call from my left and I didn't even glance her way as I reloaded my rifle.

"It's done Commander," I said before focusing my attention on the turian, who was several feet away on my right. "Don't worry Angel. That problem's gonna take care of itself." I looked away but I could feel Garrus' gaze lingering on me. I aimed my rifle and peered through my scope, watching the heavy mech as it turned on its heavy feet and focused its sight on the bridge. It wasn't a moment later that I saw a several figures begin to emerge from the shadowed corridor of the bridge. I focused the cross-hairs of my scope and let loose a shot that got the one of the fuckers right through the exposed area of his neck. He went down and stayed there.

Zaeed had let out a guffawing laugh from Shepard's left as he reloaded his assault rifle. "Oh sweet cheeks, you're doing this old man proud."

"Nice shot," said Shepard as she glanced at me and smiled approvingly. "Seems you found your touch."

I could only smirk in response as I focused my scope on the next figure but didn't need to let loose another shot. The heavy mech had detected the new targets and was assailing a hail of bullets right on its masters. Oh goddess, that was a good thing. This battle would have been a hell of a lot worse if that mech hadn't been tampered with. There were several Eclipse members that were caught off guard as they made their way over the bridge only to be gunned down. A few made it past the mech but didn't get far when one of our own bullets found its mark.

It got more heated the moment that the Eclipse leader had emerged among his teammates and the mech was shot down. It broke down on the spot but it had done its job and soon every member of the Eclipse group was down for the count. It was Garrus who got in that last shot that knocked the salarian on his ass and finally brought things to a temporary close.

"Looks like that's all of them," said Garrus as he released the spent cartridge of his thermal clip and began to relax. "They'll need some time to regroup." He reloaded his rifle and passed a glance at Shepard. "You're kicking ass, Shepard. They barely touched me."

"Thank my team," she said with a smile as she reloaded her own rifle. "Lord knows this would have been more a bitch if I was by myself."

"You're right," he said before glancing at Zaeed and I. "Thanks to you three, I wouldn't be standing here. We even managed to get Jaroth in the process. I've been hunting that little bastard down for months..."

"You're welcome," I said as I holstered my weapon and activated my omni-tool. "Now, how's everyone feeling? Any major arteries hit? Loss of feeling anywhere?"

"I'm all right sweetheart. Barely a scratch," said Zaeed with a smirk as he settled himself down on one of the counters that was beside another much abused sofa.

"I'm fine too," said Shepard, setting down her rifle as she glanced at me. "Nothing medi-gel can't fix."

I focused my gaze on the turian and raised a brow in question. "Are you all right too, Angel? You look exhausted. I have an energy pack that can help. It's dextro-protien based so no worries about it causing a bad reaction."

Garrus gave the turian equivalent of a smile before he let loose a grumbling chuckle that nearly made my nurse's façade falter. "I'd appreciate it, thanks," he said as he moved over to grab the small cube ration I offered him. He inserted it into the medi-gel slot of his body armor and let out a relieved sigh as the feeling of renewed energy worked its way through his system, giving him the needed boost. "Spirits, I almost forgot how it feels to have that much energy." He stretched out his arms and back before focusing his gaze on me. "You seem ready more than most. Energy packs aren't really a priority in merc missions."

"That's because she's a nurse," said Shepard, the smile on her face growing as she looked at me. "I'm having her trained for combat. I didn't realize how much it helped having medical staff right out on the field with you. It's nice to have someone with all the medical knowledge you could need just shy of the medical bay of the _Normandy_ to help out in a dire situation."

"I'm not a nurse yet Shepard," I said with a sheepish tone. "Just an EMT for now until I past these next set of exams."

"You were a surgical nurse from your life before, El," she said, the smile on her face dimming slightly as she focused her gaze on me. "You haven't forgotten that. You're still a nurse as far as I'm concerned. You'd know how to patch up a human in an emergency situation with tech from 170 years ago. That would be considered the bare necessities in this time frame. Seeing as I'm human, and the bare necessities are what we would be working with out in the field, that's all I need to know."

I decided to let the subject drop and focused my gaze back on Garrus. "We still have a couple of merc groups to worry about, Angel. Would now be a good time to try that crack in their defenses?"

"Maybe," said Garrus in reply, the look in his blue eyes showing amusement for some odd reason before he turned around to look out over the balcony. "Let's see what they're up to..." He focused his gaze on the bridge corridor across the way and I think he was a getting a good look thanks to the visor over his left eye. "They've reinforced the other side... heavily." He let out a sigh as he took a step back from the railing. "But they're not coming over the bridge yet... What are they waiting for?"

A huge explosion rocked the very foundation beneath our feet at that moment and an alarm could be heard in the distance on the first floor of the building. Well, that answered that question.

Garrus checked his omni-tool and let out a curse as his screen shown him the result of his scans. "They've breached the lower level," he said as he typed away at a few keys. "Well, they had to use their brains eventually." He focused his gaze on Shepard as he dropped his left arm. "You'd better get down there Shepard. I'll keep the bridge clear."

"Not on your own, you're not," said Shepard as she armed her gun. "There's going to be a hell of a lot more troops coming over that bridge. You'll need what help you can." She focused her gaze on me then and pointed a gloved hand my way. "Estella, you stay with Garrus. Zaeed and I will take care of the lower level."

I would have opened my mouth to protest but knew it was pointless. I wasn't nearly as skilled as Zaeed in regards to sniping but goddess knows he was much faster on his feet. He was a better choice for handling the close combat range. I would be of better use here where I could snipe the fuckers as soon as they came into scope. Besides, I wouldn't be by myself. "Yes ma'am," I said with a small smile and a mocking salute. "So long as Angel here helps to cover where I lack, you can count on me."

"Lucky bastard," muttered Zaeed as he armed his rifle. He threw a look at Garrus, who looked back at him in confusion, before turning to Shepard. "Ready when you are."

Shepard had smiled at me in amusement, most likely at Zaeed's less than enthusiastic response to her orders, before she looked at Garrus. "Where do we go from here?"

"Go down a level- the basement door is on the west side of the room just behind the stairs," he said, already aiming his rifle over the railing of the balcony. "I'll radio directions if you need help but you've got to get down there quick. Good luck."

With one last parting farewell, Shepard headed out of the room and toward the corridor that led to the stairwell. Zaeed glanced at me as he cocked his gun and gave a nod before turning to follow after the Commander. Now alone, I glanced at the turian beside me before arming my sniper rifle and giving him a nervous smile. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," he said with a smile as he got into position and focused his gaze through the scope. I followed his example and took a deep breath in to calm my nerves. This was going to be just like any other surgical procedure...

-o-

At first, there weren't too many and Garrus was looking comfortable as each body hit the ground. I wasn't as much. There was this feeling of unease that settled in the pit of my stomach and I wondered exactly what the source was. Even though I had done what I could to sabotage the mercs' operations on their mech and their gunship, there was still a chance something could go wrong. I hadn't seen sign of the gunship yet and wondered, though I had taken Cathka down for the count, if they could still use the gunship effectively even if not at a 100% functionality.

At this point, Shepard and Zaeed were making their way around various points in the basement and sealing up the shutters that closed off access to the building. There was a hell of a battle going down there but they seemed to be holding their own...

Another wave of mercs was coming over the bridge and Garrus and I were under heavy fire. I don't know how we managed to pull off knocking them out, despite the shots I was taking when my shields went down. My medi-gel reserves were beginning to run low and even Garrus was looking worse for wear but we were OK so far. After what seemed like a lifetime later, Garrus finally got the signal that all shutters to the basement were sealed.

Garrus got on his comm and called out to Shepard that we were OK but we were going to need help soon. It was at that moment that I noticed from my place in the balcony, that overlooked the entryway of the building, that a shower of sparks coming from one of the locked doors in the lower level. I quickly moved over to Garrus and butted the side of my hip against him, effectively knocking him out of the way. The doors had opened right at that moment and the first krogan I had ever laid eyes on stormed his way into the lower level with a roar. "Rip them to shreds!"

I took aim through my scope and fired at one of the Blood Pack members, a species I was not familiar with. It was right on target and the thing went down with barely a grunt, a nice hole in its spiky cranium.

"Shepard, you better get up here. They're coming in through the doors," said Garrus before he cut off the signal and reloaded his rifle. "Nice shot by the way, Estella," he said as he positioned himself around me and further down to my left. He glanced at me then and smiled in that turian way of his.

I ignored the spread of warmth that heightened through my cheeks from his gaze. I tried to ignore the spread of warmth through various lower regions from the sound of my name on his voice. I turned away from him without a word, focused my gaze through my scope, and sent out a hail of bullets as the hormones that coursed through me took on a different outlet.

I managed to take down a fair number of the Blood Pack members and their strange dog-like pets, the name varren came to mind. Garrus was racking up the head shot count as, thank be to the goddess, Shepard and Zaeed finally arrived on scene to even the odds. The battle continued on and the worry was beginning to grow in me. I could hear the fight emerging right on the second level corridor that led to this balcony.

Garrus had turned on the spot the moment the door opened and the Blood Pack krogan came barreling through from across the room. "Die Achangel!"

I raised my rifle and let loose a series of shots straight at the krogan's face. The shields around him crackled from the several impacts. Garrus fired right with me and the both of us managed to take down his shields just as he aimed his launcher to fire at us. I ducked out of the way behind the sofa just in time as the explosive sailed over my head, out the balcony railing, and went off on the bridge below. Garrus had taken cover as well but was right on his feet to fire. I followed up after him and let loose a few shots that got the bastard right in the face. It was at that moment that an explosive got the krogan from behind and he was blown apart with little trouble. The sight of entrails and scattered body parts did little to help my nerves and I took in a breath.

_Just surgery... This is all it is..._

Shepard emerged from the clearing smoke of the explosive and holstered her launcher as she looked at us with a smile. "Sorry we're late."

"Thanks Shepard," said Garrus as he lowered his rifle. "They hardly got through to me."

Shepard gave a nod before casting her blue-gray eyes my way. There was concern on her face as she walked toward me. "Moreno, are you all right?"

"Never been better," I said in reply, though I sure as hell didn't feel like it.

"It's just..." she hesitated as she came to a stop in front of me and reached up to run a gloved finger against my cheek. "El... Your face is glowing red."

I winced at her touch, feeling what must have been a new wound from where one of the bullets had grazed me. I wasn't surprised by it. Miranda had warned me it would happen if I was under a great deal of stress. The cybernetics that had been used to reconstruct my anatomy from scratch would show to have an adverse reaction if certain negative actions not normally considered took place. It would raise that stress level and the after effect made the surgical scars more visible. The actions that affected me negatively at this moment were taking lives.

"It's nothing to worry about," I said as I gently pushed her hand away and gave a smile. "Side effects of the cybernetics used in the reanimation. I just need to take a few calming breaths and think happy thoughts. It'll start to heal on its own and the glowing will fade."

She frowned thoughtfully and reached up to touch her own face. "Has that happened to me?"

I gave a nod but said nothing else as I turned away and got my rifle ready. There was only one more merc group to worry about and I was not letting my guard down. Garrus had called Shepard's attention then and they discussed on the next course of action to take. I ignored them and made my way to the windows that lined right side of the room. I looked down into the shadowed areas of the street below before lifting my rifle to look through the scope. I caught the rapid movement of something flying right towards where we were and I turned with a shout of warning. "They're coming!"

I ran off toward the group, hearing the glass of the window shattering behind me, while Zaeed called out to me. "Get your head down!"

I didn't need telling twice and I ducked behind one of the sofas for cover. I holstered the sniper rifle and pulled out my SMG. I took the safety off just as Garrus let out another curse.

"I thought I took that thing out already," he said with a growl as he holstered his sniper rifle and took out his own assault rifle.

"They fixed it but not all the way," said Shepard as she aimed her own rifle. "El made sure of that."

"They're lettin' loose some troops," called out Zaeed as he aimed and started to fire at the figures that were climbing through the broken window and already a hail of bullets were flying past. The battle began before we could even take a breath and my heart was hammering so hard. The adrenalin that rushed through my system was only rivaled by the constant flow of medi-gel with every hit I took when my shields went down. There was some commotion on the lower floor and Shepard, Zaeed and Garrus rushed to the part of the balcony that overlooked the entryway below.

I held back to catch my breath, my nerves buzzing as I holstered my SMG and took out the rifle once more. I swallowed back the lump in my throat as I focused my scope on the doorway from my cover behind a counter. If they were going to rush in here I would give them a hell of a welcome.

As the Blue Suns troops were making their way toward the rear stairs, Zaeed and Shepard were focusing their attack on them. Garrus had taken a moment to step back and reload his rifle and I glanced at him out of reflex from spotting the movement. I'm not sure if it was instinct or a sixth sense but the moment I caught rapid movement out of the corner of my eye beyond the broken window, I didn't hesitate to rush to my feet. "Get down!"

I ran towards Garrus and, with my momentum, pushed all of my weight into tackling him. He had turned to me in surprise and caught me, trying to brace himself against me, but couldn't find his footing. We fell over and down behind a counter that held some dying, potted plants.

" _Archangel_!"

A voice sounded over a PA system as a hail of bullets fired over us and against the counter we were taking cover behind. Garrus immediately tightened his hold over me and pulled me closer against him, moving his broad frame over me to cover me from the attack.

"Y _ou think you can screw with the Blue Suns_!"

Garrus had moved his head slightly to see what was firing at us. However, I already knew it was that damned gunship. I was moving against him, trying to free myself from his vice-like grip so I could get my rifle ready.

" _This ends now!_ "

"Damn it!" was all he said and the next moment I was thrown into the air with surprising strength before crashing against the floor in a bone-cracking sprawl. I had barely gotten my head up before an explosion rocked from close by, knocking me back, and blocking out all other senses.

Ringing filled my ears and my vision was blurry as I tried to get up on my hands and knees. I could barely make out the cobalt blue armor that belonged to Garrus. He was lying prone on the floor and dark blue blood was beginning to pool beneath him. Goddess damn him, he took the hit.

"Angel!" I called to him, my voice sounding as nothing more than a muffled hum to my own ears. I crawled my way over to him, my body crying out in protest, not paying any mind to Shepard and Zaeed on either side of us as they worked on firing the damn gunship down. The moment I reached him, I turned him over as best I could and felt my blood grow cold at the sight. The right side of his face had been caught in the blast but the worst of it was that the right side of his neck had a gaping hole that was spilling over blue blood.

It seemed that everything that had happened afterward was in a haze. My body had gone on straight instinct as it used to way back when...

-o-

_Need to stop the blood flow._

_Need to staunch the wound._

_No gauze._

_No dressings._

_Need bandages._

_Where?_

_Cloth. Sleeve. Armor in the way. Take it_ off _!_

_Medi-gel. Cloth. Seal it all. Stop the flow. Prevent infection._

_Not enough medi-gel..._

_Still bleeding!_

_Trouble breathing._

_Heart rate rising._

_Blood pressure rising._

_Need medical bay. Need doctor. Too much damage._

_Not enough._

_Apply more pressure. Need him to stay awake._ Make _him stay awake._

-o-

My haze had lifted the moment his blue gaze had focused on mine. I could hear someone calling his name over and over, telling him to focus. It took a moment for me to realize it was my voice. His head was in my lap and his blue blood was all over me as I pressed a makeshift bandage against the wound on the side of his neck. The sleeve of my outfit had been torn off and a piece of my armor from that arm was now on the floor beside us. I didn't even recall doing such a thing but the medi-gel I had left was failing to keep wound sealed and the blood in. I had to staunch the wound somehow.

"Angel, I need you stay focused on me," I said as I kept my eyes on his. "I know it's hard but you have to stay awake. Can you do that for me?"

He let out a gurgling gasp as he tried to take a breath, his eyes flicking between mine before he blinked. I took that as a yes and I gave him a smile. "Good. Now, I need you to breathe slowly. We need to keep your heart calm and your blood pressure low so you don't lose as much blood. Do you think you can do that?"

He blinked again as he let out another gurgled breath, his hand reaching up to clamp over mine. I gave a nod and started to ease him into a breathing exercise, gently speaking to him as I tried to keep him calm. I could hear the quiet of our surroundings and wondered when Shepard and Zaeed had taken down the gunship. I had been so focused on Garrus I couldn't even recall being shot at.

I heard their footsteps approaching and felt a hand rest on my right shoulder. I heard Shepard's heavy breathing as she kneeled down beside me. "Garrus?"

"He's wounded badly. We need to get him to the medical bay. The blood is not stopping. I didn't have enough medi-gel..." I said all of this between breaths as I kept the pressure on his wound. I didn't look away from his blue gaze as I took another breath. "In Angel... That's it... Keep breathing. Stay focused on me."

"He's not gonna make it," said Zaeed and I frowned, tearing my gaze away from Garrus'.

"He'll be fine once we get him to the med bay," I said in a harsh tone, my anger growing as I stared at the old merc. I felt Garrus' hand squeezing mine tightly, and heard his gurgled breaths, before I could focus my gaze back on him. "You'll be _fine_ handsome. Just stay with me..."

"We'll get him out of here. Just keep him awake," said Shepard as she released me and held a hand to her omni-tool. With a rush against the insert slot of her armor, several packs of medi-gel dispensed and she handed them to me. "Here. Use this to seal up the wound." I took it right away, broke open the seal to the first pack, and started applying it to his wound. I heard Shepard as she went on her comm. "Radio Joker. Make sure they're ready for us."

I kept my gaze on Garrus' as I let a small smile through. "Keep breathing Angel. You've made it this far..."

His blue eyes wavered slightly but he blinked and focused on mine, a look in those orbs I could not read.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Too much drama. I need a break.

Chapter 10

I couldn't recall much of the journey back to the _Normandy_ ; my entire focus was on keeping the turian male awake. The moment we boarded the ship Dr. Chakwas, and a few of the crew members, were there waiting for us with a gurney ready. A frown had appeared on her face as soon as she saw who it was that was injured.

"Lay him here," she said with all the authority of the Commander. Zaeed, Shepard and I had helped to lay the turian down on the gurney, though his bulky armor was not helping him lying prone. It was probably a good thing. With him sitting up like that, the blood rush would stay mostly away from his open wound.

While the crew had started moving Garrus off to the med bay, I followed right beside him. I had not let go of his hand since we left that hell hole and he seemed all right with it, keeping his blue gaze focused on my own. I could hear Shepard's steps right behind me as I kept talking in a soothing way to the turian, telling him that he was doing well, he was going to be all right. There had been a spark of something in his eyes and he, despite his trouble breathing, he had given me that turian smile of his.

The moment we reached the med bay, the doc had turned to me and held out a hand to hold me back. I still held Garrus' hand tightly and I refused to let go, the gurney coming to a stop in the middle of the medical bay. "I'll take care of him Estella. He'll be all right."

"B-but... Y-you n-need my h-help. That's what I-I'm here for."

Dr. Chakwas smiled at me as she reached down to carefully remove my hand from Garrus'. He had let go after the doc had to pry my fingers one by one from his three-fingered grip, though I could feel the hesitance in his motion. She then took my hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. "You did by making sure to slow his blood flow and keeping him awake until he got here. You have done more than enough. You need to get some rest." Her eyes had flicked behind me and gave a nod. "Commander, if you could take Moreno from here? I've got everything handled."

I felt an arm wrap around my left one as I cast one last glance at Garrus. He stared back at me, struggling to breathe, the look in his blue eyes was hard to decipher. However, I didn't put up any further arguments as Shepard helped me out of the medical bay. I could feel my body finally begin to relax and the adrenalin that had been pumping through my system had finally run its course. I slumped against the Commander, my moves becoming more sluggish as she took me away from the med bay. She didn't say anything by way of complaint. She simply held onto me and gave me the much needed support.

I didn't ask where she was taking me. I assumed it was to my own closet of a room aboard this ship. I was just grateful for the help to stand. However, when we bypassed my room, my senses came back to life. I looked back at the small door that led to my room before looking at the Commander in question. She didn't look at me and instead guided me to the elevator. When the doors to the elevator opened, Shepard helped me in and kept a firm hold on me as she pressed on the holographic console for the top-level of the ship.

"Where are you...?"

"You need to time to yourself," said Shepard as she hefted me further up against her frame for better support, her arm moving around my waist. The slight feel of my stomach dropping slightly was a sure indication that we were moving up. She looked at me and gave an understanding smile. "You're a nurse by trade. Saving lives is what you do. Not taking them. I'm surprised the shock hasn't hit your system yet."

I frowned at that as the motion came to a stop and the doors opened. She helped me across a small walkway and toward another door. "I'm sure it will any moment now," I said in reply as she led me into her quarters and turned slightly to the right where another door stood.

"El, you need the time to yourself to process everything that had happened," she said as she released her hold on me. "The shock is going to be its worst right after a battle, especially for your first true combat. You need this time away from the others. You can use my shower to get yourself clean. Use my bed and get some sleep. Take as long as you want. I'll have some of your casual clothing brought up. From here on out, you are off duty until I say you are deemed fit. Understand?"

I let out a small smile as I looked at Shepard and gave a small nod. "Yes, Commander," I said as I moved to lean against the wall beside me. "Though, I doubt you would be this kind to the other crew members.

She smiled at me in turn as she took a step back from me, watching me carefully to make sure I didn't fall over. "I would if it was someone who had never had been in combat before. All of the members of this crew have seen some action in one form or another. Even the doc. You though... You're new to this."

I closed my eyes and tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to break through. "I know... If I had the choice though, I would do it all over again... Just to help you Shepard."

"Jane," she said and I opened my eyes to look at her in question. She was smiling slightly as she folded her arms across her armored chest. "I think you can call me Jane now. At least while we're here on the ship."

I smiled at that and gave a nod. She reached out to give my upper arm an affectionate pat before she turned and headed further into her room, no doubt to get comfortable herself. Turning and activating the door, I made my way into a large bathroom and motioned with my omni-tool for the door to lock behind me. Once that was done, I stripped myself of what was left of my armor, med tech suit, my weapons, and finally my undergarments, before heading toward the shower. I pressed a few keys on the console and adjusted the temperature of the water to as hot as I could tolerate. It fell down in a spray of delicious massaging rivulets that drenched me within moments.

I held my hands out to the soap dispenser next to the console, watched the foamy yellow liquid pile in my palms, before I started to lather myself. I closed my eyes, rubbing the soap over my body, but I could not get the image of blue and red blood off my skin. I rubbed harder and harder as my memory played back the echo of shots fired and dying screams and moans. I could see nothing else but Garrus' blue eyes as he gasped for breath and there was nothing I could do to could heal his wound right there and then. The fear that we might not save him in time...

I fell against the wall of the shower and slid down to the floor, the hot water cascading over my trembling form as my wracking sobs overtook me...

-o-

The shower had been desperately needed.

I had stayed within its sweet warmth until it began to cool and I finally found the strength in my legs to stand. I motioned to the console to shut off the water and I stepped out on to the black rubber mat, my eyes drawn to my right as I saw a large closet that held several piles of white towels. I went over and grabbed one, catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror that spanned the wall on my left above the metallic sink and counter.

I turned to stare as I wrapped the towel around my breasts. I stepped closer to the mirror, studying my reflection. My eyes were the same shade of earthy brown I knew well and my dark brown hair was curling from the recent shower. My skin looked slightly flushed but the exhaustion was clear beneath my eyes. On closer inspection, I could make out the wound that Shepard had pointed out earlier on my left cheek and let out a shaky sigh. It had stopped bleeding but it had not healed. A slight red glow could be seen, pulsing gently in time with my heartbeat. I closed eyes and pushed away from the sink, leaving the bathroom altogether.

Out in the commander's quarters, I made my way slowly past a display case on my right, past the work area for the commander which contained her desk, some shelves and her console. Down a short flight of steps to the room proper, there was an aquarium that spanned the length of most of the wall on my left, though there was no fish within it at this time. To my right was a sitting area for when Shepard could entertain guests and another desk and console. Straight ahead was a queen sized bed, a nightstand on either side of it, (the one on the right had a holographic clock) and to the left was her own vast array of drawers and a closet.

Cerberus did not hesitate to add in personal taste when creating this loft.

I turned my attention back to the bed and found a loose-fitting, navy blue blouse with white flowers embroidered along the bell sleeves, the neckline, and hemlines of the piece. A pair of black flared jeans was lying beside them and a pair of standard issued black boots rested on the floor. They were from my personal wardrobe. I smiled at the thoughtfulness of Shepard and wondered where she had gone to. I had been in the shower for a while...

Ignoring the thought, I got dressed and made my way back to the bathroom to tame my hair. I tossed the towel down the laundry chute and went to the sink. There was a cosmetic cabinet in the wall to the right of the sink that had an assortment of accessories and styling products that could be used for getting one's hair just right. A half an hour later, with my hair straightened and with a bit of product to keep the frizz down. I sighed as I picked up my discarded equipment- making a note to myself to give Zaeed his rifle back- before I made my way back to the room proper and sat down on the bed. I set the equipment down on the floor and lay back in the bed.

I didn't remember falling asleep. I was in that state where you were in between. Almost asleep and not fully awake...

I did remember the feel of the blanket being wrapped around me before my weariness finally took over...

-o-

"...Ms. Moreno, please wake up..."

The voice that finally broke through my consciousness was familiar and I groaned as my mind came back to the plane being awake. I had a hard time focusing on any particular train of thought. That was until flashes of the last mission replayed in my mind's eye and I sat up in a frightened state, awake and alert. I searched desperately for my pistol but found nothing on my hip. I looked around frantically but all that I found was an unfamiliar nightstand with a holographic clock. I looked at my surroundings and recognized Shepard's cabin.

I sighed, the shock still left over from the battles finally fading away as realization coursed through me. I was on the _Normandy_ and I was safe for the meantime. I looked around, trying to find the source of the voice that had called to me. "EDI? I'm awake. Is everything all right?"

The AI's voice came through my comm but I could see her hologram emerge to the right of the only door of the room. It was a sphere on top of a cylindrical platform; the sphere bore the lights of a wave display that reminded me of those old stereos that measured the sound output in the display. However, EDI's was horizontal and her display measured the inflections of her synthesized voice.

"Ms. Moreno, Commander Shepard has requested that you meet her down in the communications room. There was something she wished to discuss with you."

A frown touched my features as I tossed back the blanket and climbed out of bed, my boots settling firmly on the floor. "Of course," I said, standing carefully as I tried to regain my focus. I walked around the bed to pick up my equipment from the floor but paused when I found nothing. "Uh... Dee? Where are my things?"

"Shepard had them removed while you were asleep," said the AI in response. "She had your uniform and armor repaired. Your weapons had been returned to the Armory though the sniper rife has been returned to its rightful owner."

"Oh," was all I could think to say and gave a nod. "G-good... thank you Dee. I'll be down to the communications room shortly. Would you let the Commander know?"

"Of course," her voice came with its usual professionalism. "Logging you out, Ms. Moreno."

I stared around the room before I turned to fix the bed sheets back the way I had found them. Nice and neat. I left the commander's quarters and took the elevator down. The entire way I walked out of the elevator and towards the communications room, all I could think was that something had changed. I wasn't sure what it was but something in me had changed completely. I felt like I used to. The husk I had been before this new life: Depressed. Confused. Scared...

"El!"

I glanced up at the sound of my name and a gentle smile touched my features as I saw Jacob making his way down the corridor toward me. He must have left the communications room himself. He stopped in front of me, a worried look on his face as his dark eyes flicked over me.

"Are you OK? You look like hell," he said.

I let out a huff of laughter at that and barely gave a nod in response. "It's... I'm..." I paused at this, trying to find the words to explain to my friend how I was feeling. I couldn't find them and I simply allowed my shoulders to slump, shaking my head slowly. "I'll make it through. Don't worry."

He frowned lightly at that but said nothing else. He simply reached out to grasp my shoulder in one hand, a reassuring gesture, before he continued on his way. I watched him leave before turning back around to head to the communications room.

The door had opened at my approach and I was greeted by the sight of Commander Shepard standing beside a long table. She was dressed in casual attire, at least casual for her. It was like the black and white standard issued outfits that most of the crew wore except it was... more detailed, is all I could describe it as. There were more pockets in the pants but not much else of a difference. I wondered if she would be interested in trying my kind of clothing...

"Jane," I said in greeting as I let a small smile appear, walking slowly into the room. "You wanted to s-" I paused in mid-step, shock registering in my system as a familiar tall form caught my eye. Familiar cobalt blue armor adorned his lean frame though the singed areas and bullet holes in the armor of his high-necked collar and shoulders were testament to the battles that had happened. "Angel...?"

He turned at the sound of my voice and a smile touched his turian features as he caught sight of me. "Estella," he said, the majority of the right side of his face, covered by the unmistakable sight of dressings, bringing a pang of sadness. "I'm surprised to see I'm up before you," he continued, his voice bringing that unmistakable rush of attraction and I was surprised at how welcome the feeling was. I hadn’t realized just how deeply his injury had affected me on top of everything else.

I wanted to rush to him. I wanted to take him into a tight hug and cry so hard that I couldn't breathe. I wanted to know that he was OK. However, I didn't give in to the impulse. It would not be right and I would have injured him further, I was sure of it.

It was just...

It was so strange to have seen the injury happen before my eyes and being helpless to do anything aside from offering comfort. To see that he was all right...

I didn't realize the tears had streamed down my face as I stared at him, my breath hitching as I tried to soothe the aching tightness in my chest. He had been the one to move toward me, the slight concern in his blue eyes clear, as he reached out a hand. "Hey now, what's-"

"I'm happy to see you're all right," was all I said in response, furiously wiping the tears away, before I turned my gaze away to focus on Shepard. "EDI said you wished to discuss something with me. I'm here now. What can I do to help?"

Shepard studied me, understanding clear in her gaze, before she reached out to activate her omni-tool. "I needed to get your report on our recent mission. It's standard procedure." She fixed her gaze back on me before quickly flicking to Garrus.

I couldn't help following her gaze back to the turian, who was studying me with obvious concern and worry. I quickly looked away, unsure about why my emotions were going so haywire. I barely gave a nod in consent as I reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind my ear. "I'll... I..." I hesitated before I straightened my posture and stood as tall as able. "I'll have that to you by 23:00. Is there anything else I can do for you, Commander?" I clamped down on my emotions and pulled forth my cloak of an RN.

This was just a job. Like any surgery. Once the surgery was complete, the prognosis reports were essential to maintaining the aftercare of the patient to prevent any further injury or ill-treatment.

Emotions had no place in this.

Shepard looked slightly surprised at the sudden change in me but said nothing as she waved me off, indicating I was dismissed. I gave a nod and turned away, not sparing a glance at Garrus, as I left the room and headed back toward the medical bay.

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle...

Chapter 11

"Ms. Moreno?"

I felt my shoulders slump slightly as the weariness began to set in at the sound of that voice. Ever since I was brought off duty after the Archangel mission several days ago, I was being followed by the Commander's yeoman everywhere I went in the off duty hours. Kelly Chambers was a persistent little thing and it didn't help that she now effectively had me cornered in my room. I really had nowhere else to go and I was too tired of avoiding her.

I turned my chair around to face her, the console on my small desk showing my recent study logs. I reached up to rub a hand over my face as I slumped in my chair. "Yes, Ms. Chambers?" I responded to her inquiry, not even bothering to look at her as I cast my gaze back to my console. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I'm glad I could catch you," said Kelly, I could hear the smile in her voice. "I was looking for you. It's surprising how hard it is to find you on this ship. I was hoping I could speak with-"

"Stop," I said as I closed my eyes, took in a calming breath, and shook my head. I could feel the headache coming back again, the one that had persisted since I left the communications room several days earlier. The stress and tension since the battle had not weakened and having this yeoman following me around after hours, trying to get me to talk about something I had no wish to relive, did not help in matters. "Stop there." I got up from the chair, abandoning my studies completely, as I moved to a stop in front of her. "I have no wish to talk with you. Ever."

I glared up at her, the frown on my face clear. She was taller than me but seeing the slight fear in her eyes, I wondered just how awful I truly looked. Had the scarring gotten worse? Was it a terrible red glow that failed to disappear no matter how hard I tried to relax and think happy thoughts? I didn't know. I refused to look in a mirror since that day and my dreams were constantly haunted by the scenes from the battles...

I took in another breath and stepped away from her. "Ms. Chambers, I know it is your unofficial duty to oversee the mental health of this crew. I also know that you report all that you have gotten to know back to Cerberus." I took in another breath and moved around her. "I have no sudden need to spill what few secret thoughts I have to you so please- Stop following me around. If I feel the need to talk and share my trouble with all of Cerberus, I will find you."

I walked past her, leaving her standing there in the doorway of my room, and continued down the corridor toward the mess hall. I didn't get very far before Chambers was calling out to me to wait. I sighed heavily, the manners my mother had instilled in me since childhood taking over, as I stopped and turned around to face the yeoman.

Chambers had come to a stop in front of me, her hand held out as if trying to grab hold of me. She dropped that hand to her side as she took in breath. "I am sorry Ms. Moreno. I know the true reason that I am here with this crew wouldn't go past you." She paused, looking around to make sure we wouldn't be overheard, before she stepped closer to me. "I actually hoped I could ask a favor of you," she said, her voice lowering slightly as she studied me.

"A favor?" My tone was one of surprise. This I had not been expecting.

Chambers gave a nod as she looked around again before focusing her gaze on me. "This may come off as a little strange and very personal but there's no one else who I could think to ask who would understand."

This caught my attention and I narrowed my eyes slightly, my suspicion getting the best of me. "What is it?" I asked, my tone hesitant.

She studied me a little longer before she gave a nod and typed away on her omni-tool. It took a moment but the sound of drums could be heard, followed by electronic music and sirens, all beginning in a slow beat. After about twenty seconds, it all came together in a rhythmic beat that I recognized as a reggaeton song from my time. Sure enough, a man's voice began to rap to the beat, gruff and hypnotic, his lyrics coming out in Spanish. " _Tamo a lo loco!_ "

On the holographic screen, a dark-haired figure was dancing provocatively with the music, grinding a well-rounded ass against the crotch of a familiar auburn-haired woman behind her. The sight of the bouncing ass of a Hispanic girl against the crotch of auburn-haired Caucasian girl was erotic enough in my time. I was sure it was more than enough to still be seen on the extranet 170 years later. It _was_ surprising to see I recognized that auburn-haired woman.

That was Alice Shepard...

It was the night I had died. The vid was of a time where for one night I was carefree with my best friend and sister. I was happy... and very drunk.

I didn't remember anyone taking a video of us that night in the club.

A blush had deepened in my cheeks as I quickly looked around to catch sight of several of the crew members who were on break looking over at us from the mess hall, the sound of the music catching their attention. I quickly grabbed Chambers by the hand and pulled her back toward my room. I pulled her inside and quickly pressed the console beside the door to shut it and lock it. I then turned my attention to her, the blush still warm on my cheeks.

" _Where on earth did you find that?!_ " I said, my voice coming out in a screeching hiss.

Chambers was fighting back a smile as she cut off the feed to the vid before focusing her gaze on me. "I had run a facial recognition program on some old vids I had stored for personal use. I knew I had seen you somewhere before I just couldn't place where." The red-haired woman's smile was more open now as a soft giggle emerged. "Could you imagine my surprise at seeing you on one of the early 21st century vids I use to practice my dancing?"

"Practice... dancing?" I stared at the yeoman, my eyes slightly wide. I had not been expecting that response from a Cerberus operative.

Chambers gave a nod as she folded her hands behind her back. "You have no idea how constraining it is to work in an environment where you have to follow so many rules and regulations. Dancing is the only outlet I have. I feel... _free._ " Her eyes had grown bright at this and a true smile lit up her pretty features. "That was why I wanted to speak with you Ms. Moreno. You come from a time where such dancing... Not only was it freeing but it was _accepted_ among the everyday people. Not just for strip clubs. The kind of dancing you did... It's just so... _erotic._ "

Queue the blush. My cheeks felt as if they were flaming by now. I was sure it looked like I had one too many glasses of wine.

If Chambers noticed, she didn't say a word and instead took a step toward me. "I'm trying to learn the way women danced in your time. You lived it and you know it better than any vid can show. The way you move your hips, your ass... The way your breasts just bounce with each and every twitch." She was blushing by this time but she didn't look the least bit ashamed. "I want you to teach me. _Show_ me how to dance the way you did in that video. You remember so much of your old life, I'm sure you remember how to dance. I know you’ve been through such a horrible ordeal with the last mission. I thought this would be a nice distraction for you. It would benefit the both of us." She looked so vulnerable with her pleading eyes and the twiddling of her fingers. "Please."

"I..."

No words could come to mind as suddenly my brain just came to a screeching halt. Of all the things I could have imagined, this was not something I had thought to be what she would have asked of me. On top of everything else I had experienced, this seemed even more surreal. It seemed something in me had snapped and finally given up. I was done with the worrying and done with the anxiety of what I had been through. As far as I was concerned, I deserved something completely normal to offset everything else I had had to deal with since I had awoken into this new life.

"I... need a drink," I said, my shoulders slumping from the sudden exhaustion. "Get me a drink and I'll see what I can remember."

-o-

A couple of hours later, I was feeling _fine_.

Kelly Chambers was shaking her little ass next to the table I was sitting at in the mess hall, trying to move in time with the music that was playing from my omni-tool. It was off duty hours for her so there were no worries of being inappropriate. Still, that didn't stop the crew members that were passing by from gawking like a bunch of idiots. I paid them no mind as I stopped the music and shook my head, my hands waving out expansively as I got up from the table. "No, no _chica,_ you are thinking too much about it. You're not letting the music _flow_ through you and letting your body _move_."

Kelly frowned at me before she stomped over and took the seat I abandoned, her cheeks red from the several drinks we both had. "All right El. Show me how it's done then since you know so much."

I let loose a heavy breath as I looked around the mess hall, trying to find something to give good leverage against. I was _not_ going to ask one of the human males standing by to be my dancing pole. They would read too much into that. So would the women actually...

But there were no good poles and the walls were too rounded to feel comfortable...

I think was about to give up on my quest for a good inanimate dance partner when a familiar tall form in cobalt blue armor had emerged from the corridor that led to the room of the Main Battery. The shock of happiness that coursed through my system at the sight of him must have been the alcohol.

I let myself believe it was the alcohol.

Why not? I was tipsy enough.

I let loose the whoop and holler I normally reserved for Joker and waved at the turian like the drunk I most assuredly was. " _Woo hoo_! Angel! Come over here! I need you for a second!"

Garrus Vakarian paused in mid-step, his gaze focusing on little old me, surprise quite clear in his gaze. "Es-Estella?"

The frown on my face was answer enough as I placed both hands on my hips. "What other human do you see on this ship who's this thick?" I asked, my words coming out a little more slurred than I intended. Oh well... With that damn voice of his, I was sure as hell to slur my words. A woman could get drunk off the sound of that voice alone.

I ignored the sudden thumping of my heart as I moved over to the turian with the hot-as-butter voice and took his hand in my own. "C'mon, I need you now."

"Wh-wha?" he barely got out as he allowed himself to be pulled toward the empty table next to where Kelly was sitting, a shit-eating grin on her pretty features. I ignored her as I turned around and pushed the tall turian back down into the empty seat. He fell back against the seat, the look on his face beyond confused as he looked up at me.

"Don't move. I need you for a demonstration," I said with a smile before I turned my back to him and glanced over at the Yeoman. "Watch carefully Kelly, I'm only gonna do this once." I took in a breath and stretched my arms up over my head. "Play the third track."

Kelly gave a giggle before she nodded and lounged against the table, her smile never fading as she pulled up a music track on her omni-tool. At once the sounds of drums filled the very quiet mess hall, a fast rhythmic beat that kept pace with the trumpets and the vocals. It was like a heartbeat, an adrenalin rush, each pounding drum and trumpet and vocal getting stronger about half a minute in until it all came to a sudden head rush. An accordion was added to the fast beat and the sound of clapping hands, sirens and a pure rush of enjoyment taking me back to my own time. To a life I suddenly missed dearly...

My body was already moving by this time, taken by the sound of the reggaeton song I knew well. A voice was already calling me to move in a way I doing so now, an erotic dance that called for gyrating hips and heaving breasts on the dance floor.

" _I wanna see you wiggle it a little, baby!_ "

I turned around and thrust my breasts up, catching Garrus off guard as I allowed the music to flow through me. My hips moving to the fast beat and my ass was bouncing in a way that made me feel as if I was a mother goddess incarnate. It was the alcohol I'm sure...

" _Turn around! Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, just a little bit!_ "

The chorus was already going strong and with each command to turn around, my body did so, gyrating and grinding against the very prone form of the turian beneath me. An alternative of human breasts and ass were grinding against him but I didn't think anything of it. He wouldn't find my human body at all attractive. In fact, I was hoping I was disgusting him to the point of making me stop. That was why I chose him. No turian male would find a human woman attractive in their right mind. Since I was nice and drunk, my sensibility going out the window, I counted on him to be the voice of reason.

However, the longer the song went on, the longer I danced. The more I gyrated and thrust against him, giving him this impromptu lap dance, the more I decided to lose myself in the music. Well, if he wasn't going to stop this than might as well keep using him as an inanimate dance pole...

I was having fun anyway.

In the back of my mind, a part of me wanted him to speak... Just to hear that delicious voice of his... It would have made this _so_ much for fun.

I couldn't keep the smile from my face as I turned around and suddenly straddled the turian's lap. "Hold onto me Angel," I said to him as the drum beat became more erratic. He barely had time to reach out and grasp my hips to keep me from falling as I began to grind against him. I threw my arms back, my hips and ass gyrating against his lap, his hands now reaching up to grip my waist as I leaned back. I closed my eyes, losing myself in the music, each gyrating motion building to a crescendo with the music until it all came to a final release where the drums beat faster and faster, the music gaining in speed, the vocals crying for more, until finally it all gave out and the music stopped, the last tune being the accordion playing to a halt.

I let loose the breath I had held and pulled myself back into a sitting position. I was met with a pair of shocked blue eyes and a gaping turian mouth. The alcohol in me made me feel braver than I should have been. I reached out to close his mouth and got up from his lap. I glanced at Kelly Chambers, who was now laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

"Hey, _chica_ ," I said, snapping my fingers to get her attention. She sat up and bit her lip, a choking sound emerging from her throat. I ignored it and held out my hands, "Do you still want me to teach you?"

"Um... _YES,_ " she said, her smile growing bright as she got up from her seat. "When can we start?" She walked over to me and wrapped her arm through my own, dragging me out of the mess hall and toward the crews' quarters. We were both so tipsy that we had ignored the crowd that had gathered to watch the lap dance I had given. We pushed our way through and kept on walking, enjoying a few giggles.

As we walked away, we had left Garrus Vakarian sitting in the mess hall, a slight twitch in his right eye. His mouth was still slightly open, his mandibles twitching every few seconds. I had no idea just how much of an impression I had left on the turian I had personally started to call Angel.

Needless to say, sensuality runs deep. When the call for it is heeded, it bears no mind to whom or what may have brought it about. Instinct rules and where instinct comes into play, it is an insanity that the sensible mind could never understand.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...  
> ...  
> ...

Chapter 12

Garrus

_Garrus! Garrus, stay with me! Open your eyes! I need you to look at me, Angel!_

That voice that had spoken to me had trembled with emotion. Yet... there had been a determined strength within it. A kind of take-charge attitude that told me this person, this human female, knew what to do to keep me alive.

I had done as she asked, had focused on her brown eyes as I had struggled to take in each painful breath. Her small hands had pressed tightly against the wound in my neck. She had slowed the blood flow. I had watched as she applied what was left of her medi-gel. I had watched as the focused look on her face had flickered with brief panic. There had not been enough. Her eyes had flicked quickly about, searching for something, before her gaze settled on her left arm. Without hesitation, she had proceeded to rip off the pieces of the armor on her arm only to then rip the sleeve of her clothing underneath with some effort. She had then turned back to me and used the sleeve of her own clothing to staunch the wound. I had never seen such a thing in this day and age. Medi-gel had always been the way humans I had seen attended to their own...

To do something as ripping off your own armor- your own clothing- in the middle of a battlefield was not something a normal human would have done for a turian. At least, not the ones I had come across before meeting Shepard. Yet, she had no qualms with weakening her own protection if it meant keeping me alive.

It had worked.

The blood flow had ceased slightly. I had to say, I had been surprised but impressed. This human was serious in her endeavors to keep me alive. I could be thankful for that. I had faded somewhat, the sounds around me coming in a muffle as I slipped in and out of consciousness.

_Angel, I need you stay focused on me... know_ _it's_ _hard... have to stay awake. Can you do that for me?_

Her voice had broken through the fog. It took some effort but I had focused my gaze on hers again and struggled to reach up to place my hand over hers.

_Good... breathe slowly... keep your heart calm... blood pressure low... don't lose... blood... can do that?_

I had trouble focusing on her words so I had kept my gaze on hers, blinking once to show that I heard her. I had tried again to take in a breath but there had been more blood than air. She had spoken to me in gentle, soothing tones, easing me into breathing slowly, keeping me calm. I stared at her, breathing carefully and slowly, listening to her encouragement. Shepard had appeared over her shoulder at that moment, resting a hand there in a way that spoke familiarity as she gazed down at me with worry. I had looked at my old friend and could see the look in those blue-grey orbs I knew so well. Shepard trusted this woman to take care of me. That was all I had needed to see to feel myself begin to relax even further. For the first time in these last several hectic moments, the fear of losing my life had ebbed away to faint hope.

Maybe I would make it.

The commander had spoken with her about my status. I listened intently as she plainly stated that I needed immediate medical attention. Attention that she could not give with what little supplies they had. The entire time she had continued to ease me through the breathing, her voice washing over me like a balm. I had never noticed how... _nice..._ some human's voices could be. Maybe it was the blood loss or maybe it was this woman in particular, but I was feeling as if the sound of her voice was helping to sooth my tension and ease some of my pain. It would have been easy for me to slip away to sleep if she had continued speak in such a way.

_In Angel... That's it... Keep breathing. Stay focused on me._

So... _soothing_...

_He's not gonna make it..._

The gruff voice that had spoken had belonged to the old merc. It had pulled me back into focus and I had looked up, seeing the look of anger on her face as she had focused her gaze on him. _He'll be fine once we get him to the med bay!_

I had squeezed her hand, trying to reassure her that I wasn't worried. I wanted to tell her that I trusted her to help me. All I could manage were a few gurgled breaths. She had looked down at me then, those deep brown eyes filled with concern and determination.

_You'll be_ fine _handsome. Just stay with me..._

Handsome? I don't think a human had ever called me that before. She must have been really desperate to keep me calm. Not that I was in any place to complain. Not that I _would_...

Shepard had given her some more medi-gel packs from her own suit before getting on her comm unit. She had worked diligently to apply the medi-gel to the wound to seal it completely. Her small hands were gentle but experienced.

_Keep breathing Angel. You've made it this far..._

I had focused my gaze back on hers and blinked up at her, trying to convey to her my gratitude the moment I saw the small smile she gave.

She had been there next to me through the entire journey to the _Normandy_ and on toward the med bay. She had kept a firm hold on my hand, speaking to me in that soothing tone, telling me that I was doing well. That I was going to be all right. I couldn't keep the smile from my face despite the trouble breathing. She had really had a calming air about her that kept one from panicking in life or death situations.

She had been stopped by Dr. Chakwas the moment we made it into the med bay. I listened as the doctor had told her that she needed to get rest for herself. She had protested and continued to protest until the doctor had to pry her fingers from my own. I was surprised that I had not wanted to let go of her either. She had been such a calming presence but I could see the trembling in her body, the exhaustion in her eyes. I had slowly let go.

Dr. Chakwas was right. She needed to rest.

I watched as Shepard took her from the med bay, her gaze never leaving my own. The worry was still there. I could say that I had been more worried for her than I had been for myself at that moment.

-o-

In the end, I had been saved.

A bit of surgery and some cybernetics had me up and about quicker than expected.

I had met Shepard in the communications room where she was speaking with one of the Cerberus operatives, a human male by the name of Jacob Taylor. He seemed to have his heart in the right place. Too bad it was in league with Cerberus.

A few words were spoken about my new scars, a joke from Shepard stating I had always been ugly. Slapping some face paint on my scars would help to keep anyone from noticing. I couldn't help but laugh at that and gave her a smile; despite how awful the right side of my face was feeling. I may have made a comment where _some_ women found scars attractive though I countered that statement being most of those women were krogan...

Shepard had only shaken her head in amusement. Taylor had decided it would be a good time for him to dismiss himself and he saluted the commander before taking his leave. I had waited until he had left before turning to my old friend, taking the time to truly study her. She looked about the same, the short auburn hair and the alert blue-grey eyes, but there were faint scars along her jaw line and cheekbones that were glowing a soft red. I wondered exactly what had happened to her. How had she been alive when all reports about the original _Normandy_ had placed her as dead?

I had wanted to ask but the doors to the communications room had opened at that moment and a voice I had not been expecting to hear filled my senses.

"Jane, you wanted to s-" Surprise had halted her voice for but a moment and then I could hear the hesitant- yet hopeful- tone as her voice was directed my way. "Angel?"

I turned my head slightly at the question in her voice, her little nickname for me bringing an unexpected feeling of warmth in my heart. Archangel was a good name, a strong name. She had shortened it to something she felt comfortable with during that battle on Omega and I was surprised to find that I had liked it a lot.

It was more personable.

More... _easy_ on the tongue, so to speak.

I would have to do more research on this human terminology of an angel as opposed to an archangel. I knew there was a difference but I couldn't recall what it was for the life of me.

A smile had lifted my mandibles just a fraction; pure joy at seeing the woman who had essentially saved my life being the true reason. It had to be. "Estella," I had said in greeting, turning around to properly face her. I wouldn't outright admit it but her name was fun to say. It rolled off the tongue easily. "I'm surprised to see I'm up before you."

I had studied her much as I had Shepard. Without the heat of battle to distract, without the armor covering, I could see that there was something different about her compared to most of the human females I had seen before. She was much shorter than the norm and her body was more... _pronounced_ than other females I had seen close to her height range. She was wearing strange clothing, a dark blue shirt with bell like sleeves that had a unique white stitching along the neckline and hemlines and dark pants that flared slightly around her booted feet. Like all humans her hair was a defining feature, a dark brown that matched her eyes, and left loose to fall in a straight, layered, way below her shoulders.

Humans were not what one would consider attractive in any way to a turian what with their soft flesh and talon-less hands, the strangeness of that hair sprouting from their heads. Spirits, did they have hair _everywhere._ They made most turians cringe in disgust just thinking about them in any way other than as a potential enemy or ally. I certainly wouldn't have been the first to declare having a fetish for humans. Shepard was one the few who I could look at without these thoughts plucking me from my subconscious.

I could say, without hesitation, that this one human woman was also... _different_.

I didn't know if it had been because she had helped in saving my life or because Shepard trusted her that made me see her in a different light. She had stared up at me, a mix of emotions that flickered across her features before the tears had spilled down over her cheeks. Her breathing had become more erratic and had started to hitch, as if she were fighting down whatever her body was trying to do. Concern had been my first reaction and I had taken a step toward her, reaching out a hand. A move I had not meant to do but too late to retract. "Hey now, what's-"

"I'm happy to see you're all right," was all she had said to me, her voice thick with emotion, as she had furiously wiped the tears away. Her voice, despite the tightness of her throat, was soft and soothing, as if trying to reassure my concern for her. It had washed over me much as it had back on Omega and I immediately had felt myself relax, the tension easing itself from my body. It was a strange reaction and I had become tense again, this time in confusion.

_That had been... different._

She had turned her attention back to Shepard, discussed the need for their meeting, which had concerned her report about their recent mission. Shepard had glanced at me as they spoke, a look in her eyes that I couldn't read well. Estella's gaze had followed suit and our gazes had locked before she had quickly looked away.

They continued to speak about the report before she gave a nod and said would have the report on Shepard's desk in several hours. Shepard had looked somewhat surprised by her sudden clinical tone but waved her off in dismissal.

Estella had turned at that moment and left the room, never once looking at me.

Confusion was the only reaction I could describe that I had felt at that moment the door had closed behind her. I didn't know why I was so concerned over the fact that she was upset about something. I suppose knowing that an essential stranger had kept you from death's door was incentive enough to show concern for their well-being in return. The fact that Shepard was showing the same concern was a telling sight. This was someone who she trusted to watch her back should the need call for it. One who had earned the Commander's trust. She certainly had for me.

"She was really worried about you," Shepard had said before she had looked at me. "Thinks it's her fault that you had been hurt." She had caught my questioning gaze, the unasked question, and she had shaken her head in response. "She didn't say as much to me but I could see it in her when I took her to my cabin to get some rest. She had been hesitant to leave you. I had only seen that in people who felt responsibility for whatever had happened." She paused slightly before letting loose a sigh. "You might want to talk to her when you get the chance Garrus. This was her first mission. She's not used to the fighting."

"I thought you said she was a nurse," I had said, the question could be heard in my tone.

Shepard gave a nod. "She is... was... Her job had been to care for people prior to, during and after major surgeries. Fighting wasn't in her job description." She frowned lightly at that as she folded her arms. "You should know. You have firsthand experience in how efficient she is. She will make sure you will survive if it is that last thing she could do." She had smiled at that before her smile had turned thoughtful. "She has an interesting history Garrus. One I think would be better explained by her. Or the files of her. One thing I like about her is that she believes in honesty among teammates. She allows access to all the files about her once you gain her trust. Files that would explain what had happened to me these past two years." She had looked away at this and closed her eyes. "All I can tell you is that I don't know if I would be standing here with you now if El hadn't survived."

"I don't understand. Who is she?"

Shepard had looked at me at that moment and gave the first real smile I had seen on her face since boarding this ship. "She's a friend."

I wasn't going to get more of an answer than that.

I had left the communications room after a short discussion about the lack of trust toward Shepard's benefactors. I had made my way down familiar, yet different, corridors toward the elevator. The entire time, my thoughts were on the strange human woman who had become an unexpected ally by saving my life.

_Estella Moreno... Who exactly are you that Shepard would trust you?_

-o-

It would be several days before I would see her again.

Over that time period, I found myself learning little things here and there about the woman who had managed to worm her way into my daily thoughts. She was under the direct employ of Miranda Lawson, therefore Cerberus, though for what purpose was not disclosed. She was a relative of Joker's, some misplaced cousin or something. I nearly laughed when I had found out. Like the galaxy needed a female version of Joker. I hope she was not too similar to that pilot.

I had also learned that she was training under Dr. Chakwas to gain her licensing in nursing. She was learning to treat all species, not just humans. It was something that made me feel surprisingly better about my first opinion of her. Knowing for sure that she was not a xenophobic bigot like the majority of Cerberus was a plus.

She was as Shepard made her out to be: honest. At least honest enough. There were things I was sure she still kept to herself that no one really knew. Shepard and a select few others were privy to those secrets. Joker, the doctor, even a few of the Cerberus operatives. However, the ones I felt comfortable asking about her had nothing more to say of her save other than that she was a good person.

I wondered of her as Shepard began to make plans of starting another recruitment mission to get the aid of a Salarian known as Mordin Solus. I had heard of the doctor both during and before my stay on Omega. Cerberus was getting desperate if they were looking to get aid from outside sources...

Those had been the thoughts running through my mind the moment I had left the Main Battery room and toward the mess hall. I was heading to the communications room, looking to speak with Shepard about the upcoming mission, when a familiar voice was hollering at me from across the way.

"Woo hoo! Angel! Come over here! I need you for a second!"

I paused in mid-step, my gaze searching for the source of the holler, only to be met by a sight I had not been expecting. "Es-Estella?"

Estella Moreno was smiling brightly at me, a complete change from what she had been several days earlier. Today, she was wearing clothing that was a little more form-fitting. A pair of dark blue pants that were snug about her legs and a deep red shirt that conformed to the shape of her torso rather nicely, the sleeves ending just below her elbows. Her hair was tied up into a haphazard knot at the top of her head. She was unlike any of the orderly uniformed Cerberus operatives I had seen around this ship so far. In fact she was more of a chaotic mess in comparison so it was not hard to see why I had been caught by surprise.

Estella had frowned at the question in my voice when I said her name. She had placed her small hands on her hips, a motion that seemed to accentuate her waist in a way that caught an instinctual part of myself I hadn't expected. "What other human do you see on this ship who's this thick?" she said, her words coming out slightly slurred. It sounded as if she had a few drinks in her system already.

I couldn't think of what to say in answer to her question. In all honesty, she was correct in her question. Throughout my entire life, my interactions with humans had shown the species to be slender and athletic. This particular human, while appearing healthy, was shaped in a way I had never seen in a human before.

Shorter.

Thicker.

Her body type was not commonly seen among humans. It was something that made her stick out like a sore thumb among her fellow humans let alone amongst the other galactic species.

"C'mon, I need you now," she said as she moved over to me and took me by the hand.

"Wh-wha?" was all I could say in reply as she pulled me over to the nearest table and down on to an empty seat beside the commander's yeoman. The other human woman was smiling in a way that had me worried.

"Don't move, I need you for a demonstration," she said as I looked up at her in confusion. She then turned to the yeoman and told the other woman that she was only going to do this once and to play the third track.

The next five minutes seemed to happen in a sudden daze...

-o-

_How could a human move like that? I had seen humans dancing and this was nothing like what she was doing now..._

_Oh Spirits, I never knew human women could bounce like that... The way her hips keep in rhythm with this drumbeat... This music..._

_That waist... Curved._

_Strong._

_Supportive._

_She is a bit top-heavy but she moves so..._

_Wait... What is she doing now?_

"Hold onto me Angel."

_Damn her voice. How can she sound so soothing even while drunk?_

_She's sitting on my lap. Why...?_

_Oh... She's moving like before... Is this some kind of ritual of trust?_

_OH! Don't fall-_

…

…

…

…

_... Too close..._

_Don't move like that... Please don't..._

_Oh Spirits, she is right_ there _. Please don't move-_

… _Oh fuck..._

_...How can her waist just-_

…? _!_

… _No, no, no, please don't wiggle like that..._

… _!_

…

…

_..._


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goddess damn you Solus!

Chapter 13

_ Estella _

"Goddess, Zaeed! What the hell are you cursing about now?"

The old merc had been mumbling and cursing the entire way back to the _Normandy_ from a gun range he had known about on Omega. For the past week, since the Archangel mission had been completed successfully, he had taken me out to the range to practice on the sniper rifle and the assault rifle. My training was going well; at least I had thought so before I caught wind of the merc's constant cursing under his breath. The past few days, Zaeed Massani had been grumbling things under his breath every time he had shown me how to hold the rifles properly or had taken to shooting a target himself.

I had overheard him saying "Goddam' lucky son of a bitch" to "Lucky bastard."

I had no idea why he was cursing those phrases specifically and his grumblings were finally becoming more coherent as we made our way toward where the _Normandy_ was docked. I had stopped in front of him and reached out a hand to stop him from going any further. He had glanced down at me and the look his gaze- that strange mix of brown and milky blue- seemed to snap into focus. His gaze softened a fraction but the frown remained.

He took a step back and huffed. "It's nothin' sweetcheeks. Just complainin' about my lot in life."

I could only blink in response as I stared up at him. "What?" I had no idea how to respond to that. I didn't know this man well so there were plenty of skeletons in his closet that I am sure he had to complain about. A man like this didn't wear his heart on his sleeve.

"Just wonderin' how in the hell a _turian_ of all things could get a lap dance from a _man's_ wet dream," he said before he walked past me and on toward the ship. "Yet, the ship's crew had seen it, millions of others had seen it by now, and I missed the whole goddam' thing when it happened right in my own backyard. I think I have reason to curse my luck, sweetheart. Just let me know next time you have a drink. I'd like front row seats to the next show."

He left me standing there, staring after him in confusion, until the words finally sunk in and the blush warmed me from head to toe.

"Goddess damn you, Kelly!"

-o-

I stood waiting for the commander's yeoman by the elevator on the crews' deck, knowing she was due to come off duty any moment now. A few of the crew members had eyed me with interest and curiosity as they passed me. I hadn't noticed the looks of interest they had given me for the past week. I had learned to ignore those looks from the crew some time ago. I had thought I had been a normal enough sight on the _Normandy_ since I was brought from the _Minuteman_ station. It was only now that I realized the interested looks were laced with something else. A variety of confusion, amusement, and lust, depending on the man or woman or- sometimes- both.

Goddess, why had I drank so much that day? And why did I think it would be a good idea to give Angel a _lap dance_ of all things? Even back in my time, nearly everyone had smart phones so there was a chance of your ass getting caught on video when you were acting the fool. There was an even greater chance of that video being placed on the internet. I shouldn't have been surprised that a vid of my lap dance would be on the extranet. I was more surprised of the fact that I had been unaware of it until now.

I had found the vid easily enough. It wasn't hard to find if you used the tags _turian, human,_ and _21st century_ _lap dance_ while searching through the billions of sites on the extranet. The vid I was searching for was definitely of me shaking my ass in front of- and on top of- a very flabbergasted Garrus Vakarian. Based on the angle of the vid, and how such a close shot it was, there was no one else who could have recorded the vid. The large empty table we were sitting at had been separated from the only other large table by a metal wall with gaps to see to the other side. The crew that had been on break on that date and time were nowhere to be seen in the vid save for in the background. Thankfully, you couldn't tell that the vid was taken on the _Normandy._ It could have been any human ship in any system in the galaxy if one didn't look too closely.

I remembered that shit eating grin on her face the moment I made Angel sit down. I hadn't thought anything of it because I had a nice buzz going and I was so fired up at having Angel all to myself for but a moment. I should have known better...

The moment the elevator doors swished open and Kelly Chambers made her way off, I reached out to snatch her by the arm.

"Ah! Wha-?!"

I pulled her down the corridor toward my room, the door already opening before me once it recognized the signature from my omni-tool. I pushed her in and followed in after her, the door closing and locking behind me. I stood in front of the door, blocking the only way out, as I folded my arms beneath my breasts and frowned at her. "Explain."

"El? What the hell are you dragging me around for?" Kelly had managed to straighten herself out from my less-than-gentle shove into the room and had turned around to glare at me. "If you wanted me to come to your room, you could have just called. I thought we would have a date first but if you want to get right to it-"

"What?! No! That not why I dragged you here!" I was blushing worse than ever as I covered my face with my hands and shook my head. _Mother Goddess, grant me patience..._

I could hear her laughter and I pulled my hands away to look up at her, seeing the teasing glint in her eyes. I swear to the goddess, I was going to beat the shit out of this redhead. She must have seen the look on my face because she sobered right up and folded her hands behind her back, looking as if she were addressing the Commander.

"So sorry Estella, couldn't help myself," she said with a soft chuckle before she cleared her throat. "Now, what's bothering you?"

I gaped at her for a moment before I let out a huff of breath in frustration and lifted my left hand, playing the vid file for her on my omni-tool. By the end of it, she was laughing so hard she was leaning on my small desk for support.

"Kelly! This isn't funny!" I said with a groan as I moved around her to sit down on my cot. "I don't care that you put it on the extranet if only you would have just _asked_ me or even _told_ me about it first. I wasn't even aware it was out there till I finally heard it from _Zaeed_. Zaeed of all people! You know how much of a big pervert he is! He kept grumbling and cursing these past few days during my training because he missed the lap dance for himself! The big bad merc gets all pouty because a turian gets an old-fashioned lap dance!"

The moment I finished my rant, Kelly's laughter had started all over again and she collapsed onto the only chair in the room, trying to breathe between the laughter. She was making these choking sounds that could barely be described as human. I could only frown at her until she finally got herself together and straightened herself out in the chair. She held out a hand in a calming gesture as she took in a few deep breaths to calm herself.

"I'm sorry El, I meant to tell you but I hadn't had the chance." She let out a breath, the smile on her face easing the frown on my own. She did look like she needed that laugh. "I wasn't the one who posted it on the extranet. I _did_ take the vid but I had only meant it for my personal training purposes. However, I... _did_ share it with a few dance buddies of mine." She paused at this and a faint blush rose into her cheeks. "I didn't think one of them would post it. I mean..." She sighed and shook her head. "Your type of dance isn't well-known among this generation of humans but it's not as if it's _extinct_. There are a few select groups back on Earth who still practices it but they are a dwindling number. It wasn't meant to go out past the dancing group I am a part of."

"Well, it obviously did," I muttered as I leaned over and slumped against my pillow. "How in the hell had that vid get listed on so many sites and get well over seven billion hits from the original?"

"Well, considering how so little is known of humans by the majority of the other galactic species," said Kelly, her smile turning thoughtful. "I suppose there would be a variety of other species who would find your lap dance to Mr. Vakarian to be of a... _sensual_ nature." She saw the frown on my face and sat forward in her chair. "Let me explain El and then you can frown at me all you want." She placed her chin in her hand and an elbow on her knee, as she thought about the situation at hand, drumming her fingers against her jaw. "I think... you had shown a side of human females that many had never seen before. Only the asari of the Maiden stage are known throughout the galaxy to be this openly sensual. Perhaps, the sight of a human female acting in a such way- a way that may seem even more erotic than the asari are known to be- toward a male _turian_ of all beings, was appealing. Maybe, even pornographic in its own way for all they knew."

"Porno-?! Ugh," I let out a groan and wished the goddess would be kinder in weaving my tale in this new life. "Whatever. It's done and over. This conversation is done and over," I said as I sat up and rubbed a hand over my face. "I just hope this doesn't bite me in the ass. Remind me not to drink while I teach you this. And, I hope you haven't been recording our training sessions..."

Kelly's smile was bright as she got up from the chair. "No. You have my word." She looked slightly embarrassed as she tucked a lock of her short, red hair behind her ear. "You're still willing to keep teaching me even after this fiasco?"

"No sense in stopping when we've already started," I said as I got up from the cot and walked over to her. "This is a suicide mission we're on. We need all the distractions we can get." I tucked my arm through hers and escorted her out of my room. "C'mon, let's see what Mr. Gardner has on the menu for tonight."

-o-

"Goddess damn you, Solus! I hope you freeze in the foulest vacuums beyond known Council space! Stop asking me for a tissue sample! I said _no_!" I said as I left the med bay in a rush, crushing my data pad against my breasts as I hugged it tightly, trying my best to put a stopper on my rising temper. I ignored the sound of Dr. Hacksaw's laughter behind me as I heard footsteps following after me.

I _swear_.

I swear on all that is holy and good on the goddess' sweet bosom that I will never again complain about the perverted comments of Zaeed Massani. So long as this blasted salarian doctor stays the hell away from me and my person, I will be more than happy to take the rude comments and obvious stares from the old merc. This Mordin Solus was a being I had _never_ met in my entire existence, be it in this time line or from my own. I hope to the goddess I will _never_ meet another like him again.

This male salarian was a professor, a distinguished scientist, and much-needed addition to the team that Shepard was building. From what I had gathered from his dossier, he had been a part of the salarian STG force and had helped in many covert studies and missions for the Council.

Why, then, was he so determined to study me?

From the moment we had been introduced, it was as if something had clicked on in his brain. He could tell that I was not _quite_ like the other humans he had met before, let alone like any of the ones who called this ship home. For some odd reason, he was convinced that I was a species of human that had never been met before and he was determined to find what it was that made me tick.

I didn't let him know of why I was so different. I had just met him and didn't know him well enough to trust him to see those files of me. The same was for the others we had met- Zaeed Massani and Garrus Vakarian aka Angel. Save for the ones I called family, the few I called friends, and the ones who had security clearance to my files- such as Kelly- no one here knew of my true origins. I intended it to stay that way unless I was proven otherwise.

Professor Mordin Solus was going to have to stay disappointed in not obtaining a fresh tissue sample from me let alone finding anything about me. At least until I felt I could trust him.

"A blood sample," said the voice that was becoming the bane to my existence these past several days. "Would do with saliva sample if sight of blood causes nausea."

"Leave me alone," I growled, wishing now more than ever that he didn't know where my room was. I could lock him out but he would simply hound me over the comm unit on his spare time from his research at the lab. I wondered if this was my punishment for not giving the lap dance to Zaeed.

No, still worth dancing on Angel's lap...

"Skin sample then," said Solus, still following me toward the mess hall as I closed my eyes and prayed for more patience. I just wanted to finish my studies today. My nursing exams were scheduled a month from now and I didn't need any more distractions than I already had...

I slammed right into a hard wall of armor and nearly stumbled before a long arm, with a three-fingered grip, wrapped around my waist and held me steady. I had already begun to apologize as the blush filled my cheeks, knowing full well who I had bumped into, when a strange sound reached my ears.

It sounded like... a purr.

Not quite like a feline's but I had no other way to describe it. I had a feeling that the true sound of it was beyond my range of hearing and all I could make out were the dulcet tones and vibrations. It was emanating from the throat of the one who held me. I looked up at Angel and immediately felt the blush in my cheeks deepen. The look in his blue orbs was too intense and the apologies had died away on my lips.

"Estella," he said in that orgasm-inducing voice of his, his grip on my waist tightened slightly, holding me closer for just a moment before he finally let go. His arm had slipped from around my waist and I felt suddenly very confused and disoriented.

_Why had I been so annoyed? What was I...?_

Goddess damn him and that deep, flanging voice of his! I forgot what I was even doing!

My annoyance was rising higher than ever and the embarrassment from the last time we had seen each other, which had been a week ago, was still fresh. I think it was obvious that my temper was on its last leg because I heard Solus clear his throat.

"Interesting. Unexpected turian reaction to human female. Could it be unique physiology of said female? Will need to research. Moreno, will come by later for request for sample."

He was gone before I could even curse his request for samples to the coldest reaches of dark space. I growled under my breath but not before I felt a light touch against my hip. My blush was instant as I looked up at Angel. "Sorry... about that... He's been driving me nuts..."

I saw his turian smile as his touch lingered over my waist before he pulled his hand away. He didn't say anything in response but I could hear that strange purring sound again before it faded completely. He had taken a few steps back just as a series of footsteps come from the corridor. I turned along with Angel, catching sight of Shepard and Miranda making their way into the mess hall.

"Garrus, glad to find you here. I need you for this next recruitment mission," said Shepard, her smile was welcoming as she greeted her old friend.

Garrus turned his full attention to the Commander as he gave a nod. "Shepard, you know I'm ready when you need me." The tension that I had felt from our strange, intimate encounter was not clear in his voice. How could he sound so normal after that?

Shepard gave a nod in return before she turned her blue-grey orbs to me. "El, how are you?"

I looked at Shepard and, for the first time since that awful battle on Omega, I felt relief. Much needed genuine relief. After all the new people I had met so far, I had to say that they were much-needed help in easing from the shock of that battle. Especially Dr. Solus. I was more than ready to get back to work. _Anything_ to get away from Solus and his incessant requests for a tissue sample.

"Better now that you're here. _Please_ tell me you're putting me back on duty."

Shepard had looked at me in surprise and I could hear Randa already holding back her laughter. She was fully aware of the whole lap dance vid fiasco and still had not let me live it down. It seemed the desperation in my voice was the key to starting to her choking snort.

Shepard glanced at Garrus before glancing back at me, an unsure smile on her face. "Well, we'll be leaving Omega for the next mission. If you feel you're well enough, I don't see any harm in placing you back in the med bay..."

"Goddess, yes!" I said, pulling my data pad from close embrace and hiding my face behind it. I leaned forward with a groan and shook my head. "I can't take anymore requests for tissue samples. I'll go back on duty so long as you keep that salarian scientist from asking me for any more tissue samples!"

Outright laughter at this point and Randa was gone. Her laughter echoing off the walls of the mess hall and I could hear a deep chuckle from beside me, no doubt Angel was amused. Shepard had coughed out a laugh before quickly smothering it.

I didn't care.

I just wanted to work so I could have some sense of normalcy.

Mordin Solus was _not_ normal.

Next time I hear the word tissue sample, I am going to shoot the person who says it.

Goddess, I never thought I would miss hearing the term "Sweetcheeks."


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damn his voice... I need a break

Chapter 14

_ Estella _

"Drop it, Je-fah-fah."

"No, I'm not dropping it, El! Y-you can't go around dancing all- all _sexy_ like that! You're my _aunt_! You're too _old_ to be dancing around like a stri-"

"Shhhh!" I waved frantically at him as I looked behind us on the bridge, keeping an eye on any of the Cerberus crew who were stationed further down along the corridor from the bridge. Seeing that none were looking our way, I turned my attention back to him. "Jeff Moreau..."

Joker halted in his tirade the moment I got up from the copilot's seat and moved to stand beside his chair. I folded my arms beneath my breasts and frowned down at him, a booted foot tapping against the floor. " _Don't_ say that I am your aunt so loudly. And if you even _utter_ the word stripper, so help me..."

He glanced up at me before cringing and quickly looking away. "Don't look like that... You remind me of Nana when you do that." He turned back to his consoles as he pulled down the brim of his cap, trying to avoid looking at me.

I couldn't help the touch of love that welled up in my heart as I closed my eyes and let out a sigh. I could never be too mad at him. He was too cute. Especially when he brought up a resemblance within our family. I think he knew this too...

"Joker," I said, slowly dropping my arms and moving to prop a cheek on the armrest of his chair. I reached out to wrap my left arm around his broad shoulders and gave him a gentle hug. I leaned down toward him, my voice dropping slightly. "I'm 200 years old. Not to mention, I looked the day I died at 31. I _think_ I am a mature enough woman to handle any backlash to come from my drunken escapade." I leaned down further and pressed a firm kiss against his temple. "But thank you for the concern. It makes me feel better."

There was a faint blush on his cheeks as he reached up to place his hand over mine, that smile was back on his face. "I guess," he said before he looked up at me. "Gotta admit. It was funny as hell seeing Garrus so shocked. Guess he never got that stick all the way out of his ass."

My interest was caught as I looked at my nephew, a smile playing on my lips. "What do you mean?"

Joker studied me and a smile danced on his bearded lips. "Oh, you didn't know about Garrus when we had the original _Normandy_?"

I let out a soft sniff in response but said nothing else to him. I simply stared back at him, waiting for him to continue. He turned his attention back to the console as he focused on the readings of the ship. He went off on several stories featuring our resident turian with the Commander back in the fight against Saren and the geth. A few were funny; others were worrying, especially the last fight. The worry was biting at me since Angel had left with Shepard and Zaeed to go retrieve our newest recruit, a person by the name of Jack. Very was little was known about this person save that they were a very powerful human biotic and they were being held on a turian prison ship known as Purgatory. Cerberus had negotiated for the release of this Jack so the only thing Shepard and her team had to do was go and pick the person up.

A sudden alarm sounded throughout the bridge and the ship shuddered for a moment before Joker's console lit up with a comm link.

"Joker, get the _Normandy_ ready. This place is gonna blow soon." Shepard's voice came through, sounding slightly out of breath. I could hear the sound of a hail of gunfire in the background. My worry grew just a tad as I moved away from Joker so he could focus on ship.

"Did you get Jack?" he asked, his fingers moving effortlessly over the consoles.

"Not quite," said Shepard, the tone in her voice could best be described as amused. "But we've got the only ship out of this place. She'll be heading your way for sure. We'll be there shortly. Just make sure we're ready."

"Aye Aye, Commander," said Joker before the link was cut short. He glanced up at me and offered a smile. "What can I say? It's never a dull day when Shepard is around."

I could only laugh in response and I shook my head. "Believe it or not, I was expecting something like this. It was the same way with her great-aunt, Alice and her great-grandfather, Matt. If one thing I can say survived with the Shepard genes: Finding or causing trouble is an innate talent." I caught the interested look he threw my way. No doubt wondering what stories I could tell him of Shepard's ancestors.

I gave him a smile as I reached out to once again pull down the brim of his cap. "I'll tell you later. I'm heading to the med bay. Let me know the moment they come aboard if they need some bandaging up."

He pushed my hand away but the smile was still on his face as he pushed up his cap and glanced at me. "Aye aye, Auntie El."

I was startled by the endearment. He had never called me that before...

My heart was brimming with love and my eyes filled with tears. I leaned down toward him; my heart aching as the emotions overcame me... and I blew a raspberry against his cheek.

"Ugh!" He wiped his cheek furiously as I quickly dashed away, my laughter echoing behind me.

"Love you too, Joker!"

-o-

I can say it wasn't a surprise when Shepard came to the med bay.

What was a surprise was that she was dragging Angel along with her. Zaeed came strolling in, a slight smirk of amusement on his weathered face.

"Shepard, I said I'm fine," said Angel, a slight frown on his turian features as he pulled his arm free of her grip.

Shepard had been about to turn to Dr. Hacksaw, who was restocking the medicine cabinets with fresh supplies, when she caught sight of me sitting at the desk. She turned to me instead, a look of amusement appearing in those blue-gray orbs. Damn her, she still wouldn't let the lap dance vid go...

"El, would you mind taking a look at Garrus? He took a few hits back there. I wanna make sure he's in top shape. In case I need him for the next mission."

I kept the frown from showing on my face as I got to my feet and gave her one of my infamous mocking salutes. "Aye Aye, Commander," I said, mimicking Joker's tone exactly.

I could see she was fighting down a smile as she pushed Angel my way, her shove none too gentle. He stumbled forward and I automatically reached out to steady his tall frame. The frown on my face was genuine this time as I looked up at him. "Angel, you're more graceful than that." I ignored his protests as I pulled him to a spare bed and pushed him down on it.

"Estella, I'm fine. I didn't take any serious damage," he said, that damned voice of his washing over my senses.

I took in a breath as I studied the bandages over his scar and the cobalt blue armor he still favored to wear. He was right, he didn't take any serious damage, but there were weak points in his armor. More pointedly, the places where he had been blasted by that damned gun ship back on Omega. Angel shouldn't have to deal with weakened armor just because it was the only one he had available. I bit back any comment I was sure to make. Instead, I went to grab some of the supplies on the tray beside the bed and simply tidied up the superficial wounds he had. He continued to protest against my ministrations but didn't make any move to stop me.

After I was done, I threw the empty supply wrappers back on to the med tray to dispose of later. I took a step back and allowed a soft smile to touch my lips, despite the worry that held me. "You're right," I said, trying to make my voice as calm and steady as possible. He simply stared up at me, those blue orbs unreadable, as the arguments died on his lips. My smile grew as I reached out to tenderly press my fingers against the bandaged part of his right face, making sure the graft was still secure. It was all right. He flinched only slightly but made no move to turn my hand away.

"You _are_ fine..." My fingers lingered against his bandaged jaw line. When I spoke next, it felt as if another part of me had taken over. "I trust you to be all right. I trust you to look out for Shepard when I can't be there for her," I said, my voice slightly husky as the emotions began to make itself known. "Keep being right Angel. I don't want another scare like last time."

He continued to stare up at me; those blue orbs were _so_ entrancing...

For a moment, I could hear the same purring from the last time we had been together, this deeply hypnotic sound that wrapped around my senses. I could drift away on that sound...

A throat cleared itself and we both jumped slightly. We looked over to find Dr. Hacksaw studying us with a keen eye before she focused her gaze on Angel. Shepard and Zaeed had left at some point during my tending Angel's wounds. When exactly that was, I could not say.

Had I been so focused on this turian that I would ignore other patients? That was not good...

"You look all right Garrus. You’re free to go," I said, trying to get the professionalism back in my voice and demeanor.

He stood up at that, his frame towering over me, though he did not move to escape the med bay right away. He lingered beside me, his gaze focusing upon mine, while a hint of that strange purring began again. It seemed to resonate from deep within the center of his chest. "Thank you Estella," was all he said before he finally left the med bay.

My heart was hammering by this time and all I could do was sit down on the bed he had vacated. What was wrong with me?

Dr. Hacksaw had only smiled at me in a knowing way before she went to take her seat at our desk.

-o-

When I returned to my closet of a room during off duty hours, I came "home" to find some strange skinny woman lying on my bed. She was wearing little to the imagination and was covered in head to visible torso in strange tattoos. Her head, which was shaven, was hanging off the end of the side of the cot and her steel toed boots were propped up against the wall above my pillow.

I came to a stop in surprise at the sight of her. She was tossing something in her hand, a familiar silver chain with a prized possession going up and down. She snatched it with precision before tossing it up again. The frown on my face was instant as I folded my arms beneath my breasts, my Cerberus issued med staff outfit making me look less than intimidating. "Can I help you?"

She glanced at me before focusing her gaze back on my dad's ring, tossing it up and down with little regard. My heart was jumping slightly with each toss. "I like the set up you have here. Nice and cozy. Too much foot traffic though."

My frown deepened. "Who the fuck are you, what are you doing in my room, and why are you going through my things?"

The woman paused, her fingers deftly catching my dad's ring, before she pushed herself into an upright position. She turned to place her booted feet firmly on the floor, her gaze studying me with interest. "The name's Jack. I'm part of your little fucked up crew now. Or did Cerberus not tell all of their little cheerleaders?" She stared at the ring in her hands before she glanced up at me. "As to why I'm going through your things? I couldn't find anything on you in Cerberus' database. Outside of that you're training to be a nurse while under Cerberus employ, not much is given on you. Everyone else is as clear as day. You? Not so much. I was curious about who the hell you were." She paused at this before she lifted her hand and let the ring drop. I nearly moved forward to catch it before she caught the chain. The ring swayed back and forth between us, a pantomime of some hypnotic device from days of yore.

"1978? Isn't this a bit of a relic for a graduation ring?"

I took in a deep breath and then two, my temper beginning to rise even worse. "Listen, Jack-ass," I began, ignoring the look on her face as she stared at me. It seemed to be a cross between surprise and amusement. "You're part of this fucked up crew. With whatever shit you had gone through on _Purgatory,_ coming aboard this ship and messing with other people's personal stuff is not a recommended option. Especially mine. So do us both a favor, give me my ring back and get the fuck out. I don't know you. I don't trust you. You're not going to learn a goddess damn thing about me unless I say otherwise, understand?"

I don't know what it was about this woman who made my hackles rise. I hardly ever showed hostility toward others, especially in this new life. But this fucked up bitch had the gall to break into my room and go through my things?

_Goddess_ no! I don't tolerate shit like that from people I don't know. Especially convicts.

She studied me for a bit, her eyes narrowed and flicking between my own, before she got to her feet and tossed the ring my way. I snatched it, a subtle sigh of relief slipping past my lips, before I slung the chain around my neck. This was the last time I left it in here. I don't care how uncomfortable it was under this outfit, it was staying.

Jack had made to walk past me but not before bumping her shoulder into mine. "I like you Moreno. You got balls somewhere up in that tight ass outfit." She smirked at me before leaving my room, the door swishing closed behind her. I let out a sigh in relief and wondered what else I was going to have to deal with today...

"Moreno."

The last voice I had wanted to hear had just sprung up on my comm link.

"Would like that tissue sample when you are agreeable."

I growled at that and quickly disconnected the call. I was _not_ going to speak with that salarian now...

Goddess, I needed a break...


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The salarian professor gets what he wants: a sample. If only I had known sooner he could help me out in return.

Chapter 15

_ Estella _

I slammed my data pad down on my desk and didn't even flinch the moment the sparks emerged from the left overs of this once wonderful piece of technology. I slammed it down once again against my desk and let out a soft cry in defeat.

"Fine," I groaned as I pushed away what was left of my data pad and dropped my forehead down against my desk. The sound of the thud seemed incredibly loud against my ears. "Fine! I'll give you your damn tissue sample!"

"Excellent," said the salarian via my comm unit, the one alien I wanted to hurt above all others. Damn him to the foulest pits of hell. He was a persistent son of a bitch. I wondered if that was how he became successful as an STG agent. He just badgered the hell out of enemies until they gave themselves up or just shot themselves to escape the torment. My credits would be on the latter.

"Here in the lab. Come when available," said Solus, that style in which he spoke irritating the hell out of me. Why couldn't he speak full sentences? Of course, I knew why though it didn't help ease the annoyance I felt toward the guy. With studying salarian anatomy and biology, you learn quickly that they had shorter lifespans when compared to the other galactic species. Dr. Solus was a genius and he was already in the golden years of his species' lifespan. He didn't have time to waste on full sentences. Still didn't make it any less annoying though.

"Moreno. Understand hesitance in giving sample," continued Solus, when he noticed my lack of response. "Will compensate for your time. If favor is needed, credits required. Will be agreeable to pay."

That caught my attention and I slowly lifted my head, staring down at my destroyed data pad. A favor... I wondered what he would be willing to do for a sample of my tissue. The idea had bounced around in my head since yesterday when Shepard's team came back from _Purgatory_. I had the credits. Credits were never going to be an issue thanks to Amanda's generosity. However, I didn't want what I was planning to be connected back to me. I didn't want him to know that I was so worried that I would do something like this. Yet, if there was a way for me to get what was needed for him...

I must be crazy for even thinking such a thing but I knew that he was one of the few Shepard called a true friend. Having him die at any point was going to hurt her.

"Actually Professor, there is one thing..."

-o-

"Hm," said Solus, as he typed away at his console. "Plate must not be calibrated to human female of your distinct height and weight." He typed for a few more moments before he raised his gaze to study me, his amphibious dark eyes moving from my feet up to my head. There was a smile on his face as a spark of interest appeared. "Will add a few zeros to maximum weight. Appear healthy, however."

He paused, noting the deep frown on my face as I clenched my fists at my sides. "Ah. You look- Um- what's a human saying... great," was all he said before turning back to his console. "Data Entry: Specimen bears more fat than modern human female in age range. Much shorter in height. What is advantage?"

"That's it! I'm done." I threw my hands up and stepped off the scale, walking barefoot to grab my clothes, which were resting on a table across from where the doctor was working. I was standing in nothing more than a bra and panties and the air in the lab was on the chilly side. "I thought you wanted a tissue sample, not a full physical!"

"Apologies," he said, as he quickly moved around his desk and held out his hands in an effort to calm me down. "Curiosity took hold. Will take sample now. Blood is all that's required at the moment." He turned away from me and moved back to his desk. A variety of instruments lay there, from simple scalpels to more diverse looking items I had no idea how to even describe, all of them planned for taking my sample. He simply grabbed a normal syringe that was empty. He had also grabbed a square piece of aluminum that I recognized as a wrapper for an antiseptic toilette we used in the med bay. He moved back toward me and pulled my right arm out. He had opened the wrapper of the antiseptic cloth before he rubbed it over the skin below the crease of my elbow. He then stabbed the needle right in through the skin with barely a warning. He was lucky to have known where my main vein was otherwise I would have kicked him. Didn't stop me from flinching from the pain.

He pulled my blood sample, the crimson liquid filling the syringe to the fullest, before he pulled it out and pressed the cloth against my skin. He quickly folded my arm up to hold the cloth within the crease and then left to take the sample back to his desk. I watched him as he set the syringe in a storage container before he came back to me and went about bandaging my arm up.

"Thank you, Moreno. Appreciate cooperation."

I took in a breath as I watched him set the bandage to the injection site. "As long as you hold your end of the deal, you can help yourself."

Solus paused at this, his nimble fingers hesitating only slightly, before he continued to press the medical tape against my skin. "Will be sure the order is placed through," he said, his fingers becoming gentler. "Curious though. Why such care for a turian?"

The question had caught me off guard and I swallowed the tightness in my throat. I hesitated from answering for a few moments but my heart, as always, took control of my mouth. "He is one of Commander Shepard's closest friends and allies. She is a part of my family. Keeping him alive and well will keep her happy. I would do anything to make sure my family is happy in any way I can."

"Hm," was all he said in response before he set the medical tape securely and released my arm. "All done. Will call if need for tissue sample."

I shook my head in resignation as I went to get dressed. "Like I said, hold your end of the bargain and you can have as many bodily samples as you want."

Solus smiled at this as he gave a nod, "Will call."

I didn't respond as I quickly dressed. My clothing was a pair of flared blue jeans and a beige blouse that tucked in around the breasts but flared out like a skirt till about my hips. Another hint to my roots but one I hoped the professor wouldn't catch on. My way of speaking had grown more to the modern tongue; aliens would not find it too hard to distinguish from other humans through their translators. Question was had my mannerisms? There was only so much you could get away with.

I tried to ignore the pangs of uneasiness as I turned to look at the salarian professor. "Well... I have more studying to do. Call like you always do. You know where I am."

Solus smiled at this. "Indeed."

I gave a nod in reply before I turned and left the lab.

-o-

By the time I was done with my studies, it was time for me to go back on duty in the med lab. I changed into my work uniform and took a moment to scrape up the remnants of my data pad. Thankfully, all the files for my studies were backed up on my omni-tool and my desk console so I only needed to get a new data pad. Letting out a soft sigh, I left my room and made my way down the corridor to the med bay.

I still got interested looks and a few cat calls from some of the crew members who had nothing else better to do. I just ignored them, though it did not stop the blush from rising into my cheeks. I passed the mess hall and entered the med bay, where I was greeted by the sight of a frown on my mentor's face as she stared at her console.

"Dr. Chakwas? Are you all right?" I asked, moving quickly over to my side of the desk and slinging my dead data pad aside. I moved to stand beside her chair as she looked up at me in surprise.

"Goodness," she said, her frown easing slightly. "You hardly ever call me by my proper name. I must be more distracted than I thought." She turned away from me and focused her gaze back on her console. "I am fine Moreno. I am just concerned about this new mission the Commander will be on for Cerberus."

"New mission?" I tried to keep the panic at bay as I turned my gaze to the doc's console. "What new mission?"

"Another human colony out here in the Terminus systems has recently lost contact with the rest of galactic space." She turned her chair away from her console and looked up at me, quickly catching my worried gaze. "Cerberus believes the colony has been or will be under attack. They are sending Shepard and her team out to investigate. We are already on course. I'm just concerned this may be a fruitless attempt."

"The Collectors," I murmured, my gaze flicking back to the display of her console. I took in a breath as I tried to calm my worries. "Has Shepard picked her party yet? What do we need to prepare for?"

"Dr. Solus has been working on a counter measure to the seeker swarms that the Collectors had used back on Freedom's Progress," said the doc, turning back to her console and typing away at the keys. "We won't know if it's effective until Shepard and her team come in contact with the swarms. If the technology that the professor has developed has not proved fruitful. Well," she continued to type away, her gaze shifting toward me as I focused on the holographic monitor. "All I can tell you is that we hope the colony has not been taken. As for who will be going on the mission..." Her hands hesitated above the keys and she took in a breath. "Jacob Taylor will be with her. Along with Garrus Vakarian."

My body had stilled at this, the shock overcoming my system. It hadn't been that long since the Omega mission. He wasn't fully healed. The order would not be here in time...

I understood keeping those she trusted close but not when there had been such a close call before...

I tried to keep the panic from my voice as I closed my eyes. "How long before we reach this colony?"

"Another 12 hours at best before we reach Horizon," she said before she turned toward me and reached out to take my gloved hand in hers. "I understand the worry Estella. I understand better than you know."

I took in a breath, held it closely, before I let out a heavy sigh. "I suppose if this was your family," I said, feeling my heart already aching with the worry. "Problem is no one in this crew had ever faced the Collectors before. Let alone their family members." I pulled my gloved hand from hers and turned away to take my seat on her left. My side of the desk was neat and organized. No data pad out-of-place aside from my broken one. My microscope waiting for blood or tissue samples to analyze. Nothing that reflected my current state of mind, which was an emotional disarray.

"I may not have had family members face a threat such as this Moreno," said Dr. Chakwas, "but the few members of this crew that I trust are like family to me. I can understand the worry. I can only have the hope that they, and we, will get out of this alive."

She turned back to her console and all I could do was stare at my own, feeling completely useless.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wonder if I'll get lucky...

Chapter 16

_ Garrus _

Horizon had been a disaster.

We hadn't arrived in time to save the entire colony only just enough to interrupt the Collectors from gathering all the colonists. Thankfully, Mordin's work against the seeker swarms had proven fruitful and none of the little bugs even noticed us as we had made our way through the colony. The battles that ensued had been a true test in skill and with Shepard leading the way it had felt like old times.

However, we could not stop the Collectors from escaping with the colonists who were captured. And meeting Kaiden Alenko had been a surprise and a severe disappointment for my old friend. It had been no secret that they had had a relationship a couple of years ago back on the original _Normandy_.

To be so callously dismissed after all that had been done and all we had been through…

The mere fact that Shepard was working with Cerberus was something that Kaiden could not overlook, no matter how hard she had tried to convince him otherwise. Shepard had been upset. She didn't make it obvious but I knew her well and I saw the hurt in her eyes as she radioed Joker for the shuttle to pick us up.

I could only worry about my close friend as we turned to leave the colony and head back to the rendezvous point with the shuttle...

-o-

A week later, we were heading to the Citadel on Shepard's orders.

She had received a message from an old commanding officer of hers who was now a member of the Council. The first human to join as a member. Captain Anderson was one of the few people who had believed Shepard when she had warned the Council about the Reapers. With the reports that Kaiden had mentioned of Shepard and Cerberus, the Council would want answers and Anderson would be a good buffer between the two parties.

The moment we received clearance to dock onto the Citadel, Shepard had picked her team which consisted of Mordin and Zaeed. She advised the rest of the crew that we were officially on shore leave for the duration of the day. They could get any personal matters done so long as they were back by the allotted time she had indicated. A good number of the crew had taken to the unexpected leave and were going to take breaks in shifts so that the _Normandy_ would not be left completely unguarded.

I had remained in the main battery room to finish some calibrations, the sound of the _SR-2_ 's main batteries bringing a much needed sense of calm. It had been so long since I could just do something as simple as calibrations. After all that had happened on Omega, this was a much needed reprieve...

The sound of the door swishing open caught my attention and I turned around to find one of the Cerberus staff members walking in with a crate hovering behind him. "Mr. Vakarian?" He stopped just a few feet past the threshold, the crate hovering to a stop beside him.

"Can I help you?" I asked, my gaze narrowing slightly as I faced him.

The staff member checked the data pad he was holding as his finger scrolled across the screen. "I have a package that arrived for you."

"From who?" I asked, my wariness growing slightly as I glanced at the crate.

"No return address," said the man as he made the crate hover off the side of the room and set it down next another. "Sender was anonymous." He glanced up at me, caught the frown on my face, before he sighed heavily. "Don't worry it's already been thoroughly scanned and it's clean. There's nothing wrong with it. The Commander even gave the OK to give it to you once she looked over it herself."

"What is it?" I asked, relaxing slightly at the mention of Shepard having inspected the container.

"Some armor," said the man as he placed his data pad within the crook of his armpit. "Someone must be concerned about your well-being." He chuckled then and shook his head. "I'd say don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Enjoy your leave, Mr. Vakarian." He gave a single wave before he turned and left the room, the door swishing closed behind him.

I stared at the door for a moment longer before curiosity overcame me and I went over to the crate. The top opened with barely a click and I glanced inside. Lying among some packing material and wrapped in clear plastic was a set of turian armor. I reached in to pull out the chest piece and collar, studying the craftsmanship. This looked like it had been sent directly from Palaven...

My shock was deep. This was not just some standard grade armor that could be picked up on the Citadel or some merc throwback found on Omega or anywhere else like it. This was brand new, military-issued armor given directly to those who were in the turian military, those who were high-ranking specifically. How in the hell had this person managed to get this sent from the Palaven military? There had to be some serious clearance for them to have obtained this much less have it authorized to be shipped to the Citadel and then delivered to a Cerberus ship...

I checked over the pieces of armor, seeing the gun metal and crimson design as well as several areas where blue lights indicated the connection ports. The suit that was worn underneath the armor was also a crimson affair but was made of very tough and light material. I set the various pieces aside and found a dual-input communication headset. This would make communicating with the team a hell of a lot clearer than with the single input most of the team used.

"Spirits..." My mind was whirling with the possibilities as to who could have sent this. This would not have come cheap. I quickly ruled out my father and sister since neither of them knew where I was. Shepard would have told me straight out if she had gotten me new armor, she wasn't the type of person to hide in the shadows about things. I didn't know anyone outside of the few family members of my team back on Omega. They couldn't afford this even if they tried all together...

While I pondered this puzzle, I glanced down at my blue and black armor. It had seen me through some of the toughest battles in my life. Yet, even I could say that, with the gaping holes in the collar and the bullet holes that riddled every inch of my chest plate, it was time to retire it. I didn't have the money to repair it much less replace it. This new armor was a welcome and unexpected gift. I would need to find out whoever had sent this so I could thank them.

Not giving it another thought and, taking what the human male said to heart about not looking a gift horse in the mouth (whatever that meant), I set about getting the new armor ready for use.

-o-

After placing the finishing adjustments on the armor, I adjusted my visor so it connected with the armor's computer system. I had played around with it for a moment before I connected it with the armor, making a few alterations so that it blended with the suit better. When I powered it on, the visor had an orange tint to it, scrolling data across my left eye with precision before indicating everything was in working order. I took in a breath and glanced down at my hands. The new armor fit like a glove. Whoever had sent this knew my size to a T. I wondered what it looked like on me. I think I could allow myself a moment of vanity...

I left the main battery and made my way down the corridor toward the mess hall. There were a few people who were taking advantage of the ship being docked and were sitting at the tables eating, playing cards or having some drinks. A couple of them glanced at me as I made my way toward the corridor that led to the men's washroom. There was a large enough mirror in there that I could get a good look at least the top half of the armor.

I was passing the med bay when the door swished open and a small form rushed toward me. "Angel!"

I stopped, seeing it was Estella, and my thoughts of wanting to see myself in the new armor were forgotten. She was dressed in off duty clothing today, a strange ensemble of a long-sleeved, lavender top that was loose about her torso but gathered at her hips, a pair of blue jeans that ended to about mid-calf and a pair of brown sandals. Her dark hair was left loose and fell over her shoulders, framing her face. She had a bright smile though a pink tinge could be seen in her tan cheeks.

My thoughts had screeched to a halt the moment she had appeared and at once my mind had taken to less than gentlemanly thoughts. I couldn't help myself. Ever since that dance...

My gaze had automatically landed on her waist, which was covered by that loose fitting shirt. I didn't like it. I liked it when she wore tight shirts that accentuated her torso. The thrumming was starting again, that involuntary reaction a turian male had toward a female they were interested in on a very deep physical and emotional level. I tried to smother it but it still came unbidden, my body's reaction to this human female one of the strangest things I had ever experienced so far in my life. I swallowed several times; wondering of this insanity at being attracted to a human woman meant that I was finally losing my sensibility.

I ignored the sight of her strong thighs pumping with her rushing steps and instead focused on her brown eyes. "Estella," I said in greeting.

She had come to a stop in front of me as I turned to face her and at once the pink tinge in her cheeks deepened. She didn't say anything to me at first, her gaze growing unfocused for just a second before she quickly shook her head and looked up at me. "I'm sorry if I caught you at a bad time-"

"No," I said quickly, reaching up a hand toward her, the sudden ache to want to touch her overwhelming me. I hadn't since that day not too long ago when she had run away from Mordin. Spirits did I want to touch her waist again... "N-no, I wasn't doing anything important at the moment. What can I do for you Estella?"

She opened her mouth and then closed it, her gaze traveling from mine and down toward my chest. A glint of something appeared in those brown eyes and, dare I say it, a part of me was hoping she was thinking me attractive in this new armor. I couldn't help the thrumming this time and it came out more noticeable than before.

Her smile was unexpected as her gaze returned to mine. "Angel, you look great! New armor?"

I couldn't help but stand a little straighter at these words, my chest puffing slightly. _Spirits... If she found me attractive in this armor I wonder if-_

I immediately stopped that train of thought and tried to calm my heated blood. What was this woman doing to me?

"I-I... Yeah, just got it today." I glanced at my arms, studying the armor before looking back at her. "I don't know who sent it to me. It came from an anonymous benefactor. I wish they had left some contact info so I could thank them."

Her smile had deepened at this as she clasped her hands behind her back, her gaze studying me with what I could only assume was amusement. "Well, whoever they were, they sure did us all a favor. No offense, but your old armor was in serious need of repair."

"No kidding," I said as my mandibles spread into a smile, a strange emotion was growing in my chest and wrapping about my senses in tight little coils. I couldn't help but realize that this was the first real conversation that we ever had that didn't concern my health. Also, there was no awkwardness like beforehand. I wondered if she was making a conscience effort not to mention that dance she gave me. I wouldn't unless she wished to talk about it. I sure as hell was never going to forget it...

"There you are, El!"

We both turned to find Kelly Chambers making her way over to us from the corridor that led to the elevator. "Are you ready? It's our turn for shore leave and I am _so_ looking forward to hitting the club." She was dressed more comfortably than any of the other Cerberus staff. In fact, her clothing was similar to Estella's in regards to being the same type of material. Nothing more than a loose flowing brown top and a pair of blue jeans that were tucked into a pair of black boots.

She had glanced at me and a welcome smile touched her face. "Hi Garrus! Nice armor." She gave me an appreciative glance before she glanced at Estella. "Are you planning on asking Garrus to come with us?"

"Uh..." was all Estella has managed to say.

"Where are you two headed?" I asked, my curiosity peaking slightly.

"Flux. El's never been to the Citadel before. I figured now would be as good a time as any to introduce her to the nightlife." said Kelly, a smile appearing much too quickly. "Did you want to come?"

I should be worried about that smile since it was very similar to the one she had worn that day of the Estella's very... unique dance.

"Kelly, I don't think Angel would-"

I glanced at Estella the moment she started speaking and I could see the deep blush in her cheeks. She was remembering something. A particular something that had been on my mind since it happened...

I kept my gaze on her as reached up to adjust the collar of my armor. "I'll come." I caught the surprise in her gaze as she looked at me and then a shy, almost expectant smile began to appear. That was a very positive reaction as far as I was concerned. "I have nothing else better to do and I'd like to relax after the battles we've had. Maybe even try my hand at dancing..."

Her eyes had widened and she quickly looked away, the blush was now lowering from her cheeks and deepening down toward her neck. It was a faint pink tinge against her caramel flesh. I wondered how far down that blush went...

"Great!" Kelly had looked at her friend, that knowing smile deepened. "Since we're all agreed, let's get going!" She grabbed Estella's hand and started pulling her toward the corridor that led to the elevator. She barely got out a "but" before she glanced back at me. I was following behind, not hiding the amused smile on my face. This may turn out to work in my favor and I may just be lucky enough to get another dance if I tagged along.

She had seen my smile and the only thing she did was smile in return, an unnamed emotion brimming in her eyes. She turned around and continued following after her friend. I wondered what had gone through her mind at that moment. If it was the same thought as mine, I think I may be getting lucky in that dance.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queue the blush...

Chapter 17

_ Estella _

After gawking at how massive the Citadel was, and staring at the diverse amount of people who made this place their home and business, a laughing Kelly dragged me deeper into the Citadel. Angel followed behind us, a gentle chuckle escaping his throat that immediately set my heart a flutter.

_Damn turian and his sexy voice..._

After going through several corridors away from the docking area we arrived at a main thruway for commuters. We took a taxi that led deeper into this giant space station toward the area that housed Flux. After leaving the taxi, we passed a variety of people, some shops, and down some more corridors. We took an elevator that would put us on the right path to this very popular nightclub/casino that Kelly was going on about. It was found down another corridor and up a short flight of steps that stopped at landing and an open doorway. Standing on the threshold of this nightclub was enough to make me realize that no matter how much time passed or what part of the galaxy one was in, there would always be a need for drinking, dancing, and gambling.

Flux was a nightclub.

That was all there was to say about it.

"This place brings back memories," said Angel as we walked further into the club and down another short flight of steps to the club proper.

To the right of us, there was a decent sized dance floor where the same varieties of galactic species were dancing to some electronic dance music. It was the kind of music that was repetitive, a very simple beat that even the very inebriated could move to. I really didn't like that kind of music. I wondered if they had something a little more upbeat and rhythmic on the track list...

Off to the left was a dining area, where several tables were occupied by even more variety of asari, turian, salarian and some humans. It had large panoramic windows that looked out to the nearby buildings. The bar was towards the rear of the room, beside another flight of steps, and behind the bar there were rows upon rows of all kinds of liquor lit up in a display case that bore crimson lights. A volus was manning the bar, so to speak, and there were a couple of loners nursing their drinks. Up above the bar, I could see an open area that looked like a lounge and flashing, colorful lights further back, indicating what must be the casino area of the establishment. All in all, this was a very good and clean club.

I liked it.

"C'mon El, let's get some drinks and then get on the dance floor," said Kelly as she pulled on my arm and started dragging me off toward the bar.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa there spitfire," I said as I pulled her back to a stop and waved my finger at her. "You know I'm not mixing drinking and dancing after what happened the last time."

Silence greeted this statement before a deep voice rumbled by my right ear, "So... does this mean I won't get another show? I found the last one to be... a bit enlightening."

Queue the blush.

_Goddess, please damn that sexy voice of his for my sanity's sake... I can't take it much longer._

I glanced behind me to catch Angel leaning toward me, a look of amusement clear in his blue eyes. "You... You're not helping right now," was all I could manage.

He chuckled as he straightened, his gaze still holding mine. "How about this: You have fun with Kelly and relax. I'll keep an eye on things; make sure you two stay safe." The look on my face must have been doubtful because he laughed and shook his head. "Don't worry Estella. We're on leave. Considering the mission we're on, you might want to have fun while you can."

"El, c'mon," said Kelly as she pulled on my arm. "Garrus will make sure we don't make too much of a fool of ourselves. Won't you Garrus?"

"I'll try," was all he said, his gaze still focused on mine. The look on his face was hard to determine but his gaze was intense.

I could feel the blush in my cheeks and quickly looked at Kelly. "Fine... but I am not dancing right now."

-o-

Of course, any time I say one thing the goddess is sure write my new life in a way that will mean something embarrassing is going to happen. I didn't understand how things could have gotten the way they did. I wasn't with a Shepard this time...

About an hour later, Kelly was quickly working on her third mixed drink. I was nursing my first one and trying to ignore her as she kept pushing me to drink more so we could get on the dance floor. I told her for the tenth time to let me go at my pace and if she wanted to dance so badly to go ahead and dance without me. She took my advice this time, a buzzed smile on her face, as she made her way to the dance floor. I watched her go before I let loose a heavy sigh and turned back my drink. I downed it this time, hearing a deep chuckle and trying to ignore the rush of warmth that arose at the sound.

"She really gets to you, doesn't she?"

I set my drink on the table and focused my gaze on Angel, who was seated across from me. "She means well. She has a good heart. She just... _really_ likes to drink and dance. You know from experience that is a bad combination for me."

He chuckled at this and shook his head. "Actually, I would have to disagree with you Estella," he said, his gaze lingering on mine. "Have you ever seen Shepard dance? Even when you were drunk, you could hold a rhythm. That's something Shepard couldn't handle even while sober."

I was surprised to hear such a comment and the laughter bubbled out of me before I could stop it. "Goddess, she's terrible at dancing too? I swear it must be in the genes. She wasn't the only Shepard to have terrible dance moves. Gotta say they always made great soldiers though..." I sighed heavily, thinking back on my last night with Alice Shepard. Goddess, I still missed her terribly...

"You know Shepard's family? I didn't know she had any alive."

I looked up at Angel, for a moment having forgotten that he didn't know about my past or of my connection to Shepard. I was conflicted to share anything with him just yet but my resolve was growing. He had proven himself time and again to be a true friend to Shepard throughout this entire adventure so far. He had saved my life back on Omega when he threw me out of harm's way and took that rocket to the face.

I took in a breath, held it a moment, and let it slowly loose. "I was married into the family... a long time ago. Unfortunate circumstances had brought about a divorce between my husband and me. I... lost contact with the family for years. It wasn't until recently that I learned her family members, including my ex-husband, are no longer alive. She's the last living. I didn't even know about her until around the same time."

Angel listened as I spoke, his gaze never wavering from my own. He took in a breath, his gaze turning thoughtful. "Not to interrupt but... if Shepard had other family, why did she grow up an orphan?"

Of course, I should have known he would know all about Shepard's past, being one of her closest friends and allies. I suppose dancing around the truth wasn't going to be easy. Well, in for penny in for a pound...

"It's... a lot more complicated than that." I sighed and reached up to rub my fingers against my forehead. "I... don't feel comfortable telling you the whole story here." I glanced at Angel before I looked around the club at all the patrons. There was no telling who could be watching or listening. With this much technology, places like this were a goldmine for information seekers. I looked back at Angel and smiled. "I'll tell you what: let's have a few drinks for now, relax and unwind. When we get back to the ship, I'll tell _and_ show you everything you need to know."

He sat back against his chair, the look on his face was hard to describe but I would say he was intrigued. He was silent for a few moments before he tilted his head slightly. "Hm... I think I can deal with that." He folded his arms and I could only say that the way his mandibles spread into his own unique smile, it was smug. "Since we're here, why don't we have ourselves a little more than fun?"

"Huh?" was my brilliant response.

He chuckled at that as he sat forward, his blue gaze focused intently on mine. "Let's actually have some fun. Do... a little drinking contest."

"A drinking contest?" I repeated back to him, my heart fluttering slightly from the intensity of his gaze on mine. "O...K... I can... do that." I paused to take in a breath to calm my heart, already knowing my blush was giving me away. "What are the stakes?"

"Let's see..." He sat back and reached up to run his fingers along his chin. "If you win, I'll be your personal errand boy for a month."

My blush had deepened at that, my mind already going into the gutter and thinking of some very naughty porno vids I had come across several months ago. A good deal of them consisted of a storyline dealing with an errand boy...

_Agh! Bad girl! Mind_ focus _!_

"A-ah... OK... and if you win?"

That smug smile was back again. _Goddess, if you can hear me please smite this honey-voiced turian where he sits..._

"If I win, I want you to show me more of your dances. Not once, not twice, but... every day... for a month... any time I ask. No matter _where_ we are."

"Fuck," I whispered, his voice had gone deeper as he said that, sultry and sexy. I think he was doing it on purpose to throw me off. It was working like a charm and it was doing all kinds of things to my insides. Right now, I felt like a melted mass of warmth in this chair. "Uh..."

"What do you say Estella?"

Damn it, I loved the way he said my name like that... Was I gonna regret this?

I don't know...

It seemed like a win/win situation no matter how it went. I had already embarrassed myself in front of him so that was out of the way. I could only hesitate for a moment before I took in a breath and gave a nod. "All right... We got a deal."

Angel smirked at this and called for the waitress, ordering our first round of shots...

-o-

I had to say it.

Angel was a better drinker than I would ever wish to be.

A half an hour later, I was feeling the effects of several shots and I was still down by three glasses. Angel was chuckling as he held his seventh shot for the night. "C'mon Moreno, I know you can do better than that."

"Goddess damn you Angel, stop rubbing it in," I said as I focused my gaze on my fourth glass. It was looking a little unfocused and I knew this last shot would ruin the good buzz I was feeling. I scrunched my nose, hating to admit defeat, but knowing better than to push my luck. I pushed the glass away and shook my head. "Agh, fuck it. Vakarian, you win this one," I said as I folded my hands behind my head and sat back against my chair.

"Ha! I thought you could hold your drink?" He downed his shot and slammed the glass down on the table.

I smirked at him, watching the relaxed air that now surrounded him. He was enjoying himself. He looked like he hadn't allowed himself to relax in a long time. I took that moment to sink further down into my chair and study him. "I never said I could," I said as I closed my eyes, taking a moment to listen to the music that played in the club, thinking on which track from my own personal library would work best. I wonder if the owner would mind taking a request.

"So... about that wager..."

I opened my eyes and looked at him, seeing the smug look on his face, and I couldn't help but smile back in reply. "So... What's your first request? We did have a deal."

He looked a bit surprised; apparently he was thinking I would put up more of a fight. "Well... We are in a club..." He hesitated slightly, looking a bit uncomfortable. "However, if... I'd understand if you didn't want to. It was just a silly wager and-"

"Angel, it's fine," I said with a laugh as I dropped my hands to the table top and stood up. I actually didn't mind. I was sure to embarrass myself in front of these strangers but Angel wanted a dance and by the goddess he was going to get his dance. "I wouldn't have made the wager if I didn't feel comfortable agreeing to the terms." I had such a good buzz going. He was right, I was having fun. "Wait here a moment, I gotta talk to the owner."

"Er- All right."

I turned and made my way from the table to the bar where the volus stood behind the bar. He was an attentive host, greeting me the moment I stepped up to the bar and introducing himself as Doran. Like all volus, he was shorter than I was, his body shape round, and he wore a dark environmental suit with various white patterns strewn about his mask and gloves. No one knew what the volus looked like under their suits, much the same about quarians. It was a medical curiosity for me and I wondered for a moment before I shook my head. I could ponder the mystery of the volus later on. Right now, I had a mission.

After a brief but friendly conversation, Doran downloaded the file of the track I wanted him to play on his omnitool. He was laughing after I had explained what the request was for but he was willing to go along with it. Once that was done, I turned around and started to walk toward the dance floor. I caught Angel's eye along the way and beckoned him to follow. He stared blankly at me for a moment before he got to his feet and made his way after me.

I looked around the crowded dance floor and found the familiar redhead dancing right in the middle with an asari. Not bothering to wade through the crowed, I put my finger and thumb to my lips and let out a piercing whistle that caught the attention of everyone. I ignored them when Kelly's eyes met mine and I pointed a finger at her then to myself and gave a nod.

The look on her face was pure joy as she let out a squeal and rushed through the crowd toward me. She took my hands in hers, her excitement bubbling over. "Seriously? Here? I knew you would change your mind! Are you sure I'm ready? Oh my god, I'm so nervous!" She was squeezing my hands tightly as she giggled. The rest of the dancers had turned around to go back to their music. Too bad it wasn't going to last long.

I couldn't help laughing at that as I gave a nod, turning my attention to Kelly. "Yes here and yes you are." I looked back at Angel and smiled at him. "Stay here. I'm gonna need you in a minute."

"You need me as inanimate dance pole again?" Angel asked as he folded his arms, the smile was back again.

"Something like that," I said in reply, my lips already forming a smirk. I turned around and waved to Doran, letting him know we were ready. He gave a nod in reply before he touched his omnitool. I pulled Kelly out a little to the dance floor, not too close to everyone else but still giving us a little wiggle room.

Kelly was bouncing on the balls of her booted feet as she took her place on my right side. "Is it the one we've practiced lately?"

I could only nod in reply as I lifted my arms above my head and stretched my back, several satisfying cracks emerging. The repetitive club music faded and a few of the dancers made their way off the floor to relax. The rest were waiting for the next song to play.

_Hah, this should be interesting..._

The next moment a voice yelled throughout the club, catching everyone off guard.

" _Ya tú sabes! Yah ha!"_

Kelly's squeal of excitement could be heard through the brief silence that followed and then:

" _Con el ti get up he tragó la bulla dura!_

_Cuidao cuando guaye mami que esta vaina puya!_ "

A screeching of car tires could be heard and then a rhythmic banging of heavy drums began at the same time a group of male voices started singing in time with the drums. It was a fast paced beat that immediately called for your body to move and move _now_.

Kelly and I were already dancing the moment the first two lyrics had come on. Slow steps that went forward and backward, a twitching of hips to add a hint of seduction. The moment the drums began to play and the singers started going off on their fast lyrics, our bodies were moving in time with the music and around each other. Gyrating hips, heaving breasts and fast steps were the key to making this fast song all the more effective.

About thirty seconds into the song, there was a brief lull in the drums so the main singer could be heard. At that point, we were back to back and twitching our hips in time with the brief pauses, our arms raised over our heads while our hands intertwined in an imitation of belly dancers. After ten seconds of this, the main drums were back and putting us back into the rhythm of our dance.

We separated and started dancing side by side again, our steps were quick and our bodies moved like well-oiled machines. All the hours of practice had really paid off for Kelly, I was impressed. It went like this for over two minutes and we had started gathering a crowd of onlookers. Many of them weren't sure what to make of the sight of us nor of the music playing. I noticed a few of the asari had smiles on their faces and were watching us like hawks.

There was another lull in the drum beats, the main singer going on to keep the music flowing. My gaze had focused on Angel standing across the way and my heart gave a flutter at the sight. He had a few people around him who were watching us but he didn't seem to notice. His gaze was following our every movement and he was clenching and unclenching his fists. He looked as if he was struggling with something but the intense look in his blue eyes the moment they focused on me nearly caused me to stumble.

Goddess, I had never seen anyone look at me like that before. He looked like a predator...

I couldn't help the shiver of excitement that ran through me at the thought of that sexy voice muttering all kinds of naughty things in my ear. Not giving a second's thought, I danced my way over to Angel and reached out to take his hands. He didn't hesitate to follow me on the dance floor nor did he flinch the moment I turned my back to him. I placed his three-fingered hands on my hips, listening to the drum beats as it went into another lull for the singers to continue hyping up the dancers.

Another set of screeching tires and the main drums were back, going in time with the singers:

" _Oye mamita, quiero adorarte Ponte más cerca para besarte._.."

I kept my hands over his as I started rolling my hips slowly in time with the music. His hands remained firm on my hips as they followed my movements, the drumbeat still going strong. At the main chorus, I let go of his hands and rose my own, thrusting my ass back against him. I heard his sharp intake of breath as I started to gyrate my hips in a faster rhythm with the music. It went on like this for a minute before his hands tightened over my hips, pulling me firm up against him and keeping me from moving. He had pulled me back just in time because the music came to a halt, screeching tires and sirens the last of the song.

It faded off to a close and my breathing was heavy, matching in time with my pounding heart. Angel didn't release me; instead he leaned down toward me, his grip on my hips firmly in place. His breath fanned against my ear and I tried to suppress the pleasant shiver that coursed through me.

"Next time Estella... You're dancing only for me..."

_Oh goddess... Queue the blush..._


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little embarrassment. Some story time. Oh boy...

Chapter 18

_ Estella _

It was so tempting to just continue as we were, his hands holding me firmly in place against him. The sign was clear: He was interested in a very physical way.

I wasn't too upset at the thought. I could hear the strange sound of that purring he made when we were close like this. Despite the familiar electronic beats of a dance mix now playing, that sound wrapped around my hearing and I immediately began to relax even further. That sound he made always did something to my senses...

However, my happy little moment was cut all too short when he took in a breath, the purring ceasing completely, and slowly released me. My disappointment was deep but I ignored it and took a step away from him. I turned around and offered a sweet smile. "W-well, I'll have to plan a very special dance for you." My voice came out slightly strangled and I had to clear my throat to try to sound normal. "I-in the meantime, any other requests while we're still here?"

Angel's throat convulsed as he closed his eyes for a second and shook his head, looking as if he were trying to gather this thoughts. When he opened them again, the intense look that had been in his blue gaze finally seemed to calm a little. "Later... _Definitely_ later..."

I laughed at that and felt a little better. Goddess, it was good to know I wasn't the only one who was feeling tense at the moment. I was so focused on the turian in front of me the sudden hand that grabbed my left arm scared the living hell out of me. I jumped in surprise and turned around to find Kelly smiling brightly at me.

"El! That was so much fun! We need to do it again."

I smiled in return, relaxing again now that the tense attraction between Angel and I had calmed, and gave a nod. "Hell yes! I gotta ask Doran if he would mind playing another-"

"I knew it."

A voice I didn't recognize interrupted me and we glanced behind us, finding a few asari standing close to our little group and watching us. The other patrons had gone back to their dancing once their familiar music was back on. The asari, in the meantime, did not join them. Their faces were varied between amused and somewhat gob smacked. The one in the middle was smiling as she looked directly at me, her deep blue eyes flicking quickly over my body before focusing on my eyes. "You're the one from that dance vid, aren't you? The human who danced for that turian?"

"Um..." was all I could manage, my cheeks still flushed from the earlier events. Kelly had wrapped her arm around mine and pulled me close beside her.

"This is her all right," she said in reply to the asari, her smile was a teasing one. Goddess damn this woman. She really needed to stop mixing her drinking with her flirting. "You'll never find another human who can move like her on the entire Citadel."

"Is that so?" The asari was eying me with interest as she folded her arms beneath her breasts. "That is... interesting." She glanced back at her friends before she turned back to me, her gaze traveling down as she studied me even more blatantly. I swear my cheeks must have flamed worse than before.

"My name is Amere. These are my friends, Ladya and Naisna. Do you and your friend mind if we buy you a drink? We'd love to get to know you better. See more of your dancing..."

My thoughts seemed to come to a screeching halt as what the asari just said registered. _Wait. Did this asari just...?_

Before I could even get a word in edgewise, a familiar arm had snaked around my waist and its hand settled itself firmly on my left hip. "I'm afraid this lovely woman is already spoken for this evening." Angel pulled me away from Kelly, who had released my arm with a buzzed giggle, and settled me firmly against his side. I was very sure my cheeks were permanently stained with my blush.

"Oh!" Amere's eyes had widened as she glanced at Angel before flicking back and forth between us. "You're the turian! How... sweet." She let out a soft laugh, a delicate blue hand reaching up to cover her lips. "Hm, such a shame. Your lady is different from most human women here. Very... voluptuous. One would think she was in her Matron stage just from the size of-"

"OK!" I interrupted loudly; my cheeks were burning by this time. This little interaction had sobered me right up. Goddess, why couldn't I go anywhere without getting embarrassed? "It was very nice to meet you Amere. You too, Ladya and Naisna. My name is El. I don't mean to be rude but we need to get going. We have a schedule to keep." I pulled away from Angel but reached out to grab his hand. "Kelly, let's go!"

"Oh, already? I wanted to dance more..."

" _Kelly_!"

"All right, all right!"

"It was _very_ nice to meet you as well El," said Amere as she took a step back from us. I could hear the laughter in her voice as she and her friends watched us leave.

I said goodbye as I pulled Angel behind me toward the door of the club, my steps quick and urgent. He had little trouble keeping up with my smaller strides but for some reason he seemed keen on staying behind me. Kelly was following after the both of us, her giggling laughter becoming more annoying as we walked.

"I'll need to pay a visit to Earth very soon," I heard Amere say behind us. "If any more of their human women look like that... Goddess, look at that backside. I'd never thought I'd see the day when I would envy a turian."

_Dear goddess, why do you torment me so?_

-o-

The _Normandy._

Goddess, bless this ship; I never thought I would miss this place so much. At least my embarrassing moments were confined to just this ship and its crew...

"El! What the hell!"

Hold that thought. Maybe coming straight back to the _Normandy_ had not been a good idea. The unmistakable voice of my nephew had just reached my ears and he was sounding particularly angry. Oh goddess, what happened now?

Angel, Kelly, and I had just entered the ship when his voice carried down from the cockpit. Kelly had glanced at me before she giggled and waggled her fingers in goodbye before turning and leaving toward the bridge. I sighed heavily and looked up at Angel with an embarrassed smile on my face. "I guess I'll see you later? I have an angry family member to attend to."

In all honesty, I still needed time to figure out just what the hell this turian was doing to me. I could never think straight when he was near.

Angel smiled at this, his mandibles spreading lightly, as he shook his head. "I have some more calibrating to take care of in the Main Battery. But... I think I'll stick around. I've never seen this side to Joker... This should be interesting."

I shrugged, not knowing what else to say. I turned toward my left to head into the cockpit, hearing the turian's heavy footsteps close behind me. I heard his voice just then, lowered in that sultry way that always seemed to make my heart flutter and my body flush. "Besides, you still owe me that private dance..."

I nearly tripped over my own feet after he said this, the sudden closeness of his voice throwing me off guard. Only his quick hand grabbing my upper arm kept me from falling.

"You all right?" he asked, his tone filled with concern.

"S-sure," was all I could manage.

_Damn turian... Sexy voice..._

He released my arm and I continued into the cockpit, trying my utmost to not turn around and give that turian a taste of his own medicine.

"Joker, what's wrong this time?" I asked, focusing my attention on my great-nephew, who was facing his consoles as his fingers danced over one particular monitor that was showing some extranet site. I couldn't get a good look over him to see the details as I walked further in. Angel had stayed by the doorway, no doubt finding this entire scene amusing. I suppose an overprotective Joker would be a sight to see for anyone who was not used to it.

"Dammit El! You leave the ship for a few hours and already there's more vids of you dancing on the extranet then there are asari strippers!" Joker didn't turn his chair to face me; instead he pulled up a vid on his console that was showing Kelly and me dancing at Flux.

"Goddess," I breathed and let out a curse. "We just left the place. How could there be vids up that fast?"

"That's your worry? El, we haven't even been on the Citadel for twelve hours and you’re already an extranet celebrity! Do you know how irritating it is seeing all these perverts lusting after my _aunt_?" He turned his chair around at that moment, his hazel green eyes focusing on me. "It's not right! You're 200 years ol-" Joker had paused in his tirade as his gaze focused on a point over my left shoulder. His eyes widened and he looked at me, his throat convulsed as he swallowed down the words he had been about to say.

Too late, of course. Angel had heard everything.

"Uh," Joker's eyes flicked back and forth between Angel and me. "H-hey Garrus. Didn't see you there." He looked at me again and winced, seeing the slight frown on my face. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "You wouldn't mind just forgetting what you heard, would you? It's-"

"Don't worry Je-fah-fah," I said as I took in a breath to relax my nerves. So much for easing Angel into my story. Joker just plowed it right into him. "I was going to tell him everything anyway."

I glanced over my shoulder, catching the confused look in Angel's blue eyes. "Angel, why don't you go on ahead? I'll meet you in the Main Battery." I saw the hesitation as he opened his mouth to protest and I held up a hand to stop him. "I promise I'll meet you there and tell you everything. Right now, my _nephew_ and I need to have a little talk. Besides, I still have to uphold my end of our little wager..."

He didn't say anything but the look in his blue eyes had lightened at the mention of our wager. He smiled at that and straightened from his leaned position in the doorway. "I'll see you down in the Main Battery." His gaze flicked to Joker. "Good luck." He chuckled as he turned and left the cockpit, his booted feet falling heavily against the metallic floor.

"What was that about?" Joker asked once Angel was out of sight and I turned my attention back to him.

"None of your business," I said, my frown growing as I folded my arms. "Joker, what did I tell you about being loud about my origins? You're lucky that I was already planning on telling Angel. What if it had been some other crew member who didn't have clearance to that info? It would have raised unneeded questions and-"

"Geez, I know! I'm sorry!" He sighed heavily as he rubbed his bearded jaw line. "I'm sorry... I wasn't thinking, all right? I was just so pissed that you got recorded dancing _again_ and all those _vids_! Do you know how many perverts are commenting on you alone? It's just not right."

I dropped my arms and shook my head. "That's not important now Jeff. I can deal with viral vids on the extranet and the subsequent consequences. However, what I cannot deal with is having my origins blasted around the galaxy. There are things that I would like to stay as quiet for as long as possible. If word were to get out past this ship about my true origins," I let out a sound in disgust. "I don't know what will happen but I'm sure it won't be pretty. The Alliance would be all too happy in keeping me under surveillance and it will probably mean getting prodded and poked out of scientific curiosity." I closed my eyes and tried to calm my sudden temper. It would do no good to get angry at him since he was taking his role as protective male family member seriously. I couldn't help but find it endearing since my little brother had acted in such a way, despite me being older. And I should be glad that he did care so much. It meant that he really did see me as family.

I opened my eyes and smiled at Joker, noticing that he seemed to relax at the sight of my smile. "Look, I'll be fine. I can handle myself and any perverts that may come along. I'll try to keep my dancing away from the public eye but I have no control over other people."

"Yeah, all right," he said, giving a nod in agreement as he turned his chair around back to his consoles. "Just as long as you try. Why do you dance like that anyway?"

"Part of my culture, part of my upbringing, and just proud of my womanly assets," I said with a chuckle. I heard Joker laugh at that comment. "I know other styles of dancing between slutty stripper pole right up to a waltz. Dancing is my way of relaxing. With everything that's happened so far, it's a good outlet. How I've danced lately well... Let's just say it's just a good outlet for some stress I've gone through."

"Oh really?" Joker sounded interested as he turned his head slightly to glance at me. "A lot of stress, huh? Well, that would explain a lot..."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Ahh... Nothing," he said, turning his attention back to his consoles. "Just seeing things a little clearer."

He didn't elaborate and I really didn't want to know. I shook my head and muttered a goodbye as I turned and left the cockpit.

-o-

I rubbed my cheeks as I stepped off the elevator and made my way down the corridor toward the mess hall and med bay. The alcohol had worn off and I was feeling a slight headache but nothing that was worrisome. The ship was quieter than usual, considering that many people were on the Citadel, it was understandable. The doc was still in the med bay, sitting at our desk and working. She caught sight of me through the window and gave me a wave. I smiled at her and waved back as I continued my way toward the Main Battery.

The door swished open at my approach and I found Angel standing at the main console, already hard at work. I couldn't help the laugh that escaped as the door closed behind me. "You're quick to get back to work. What happened to letting loose and having some fun tonight?"

He was typing away at his console, finishing up whatever he had worked on, before he turned around. "I'm not one to really cut loose Estella. Tonight was a rare occasion. Not that I regret it, I had a lot of fun. Thanks for the invite."

I laughed at that as I walked further into the room. "Well, it was Kelly's invite but I'm glad you came. I had a lot of fun too." I said as I made my way over to a crate that was on the right side of the room.

I hardly ever came into the Main Battery room. The main batteries took up a majority of the space; the slight hum of power they gave off was almost hypnotic. There was a guard rail that separated the space between the main batteries and the working area that Angel called his own. The lighting was a bit low in this place and beyond the guard rail the red lights from above that covered the main batteries was a considerable difference compared to the med bay's bright florescent ones.

I had hardly ever seen Angel leave the room save to grab a bite to eat from the mess hall. The sight of a folded up cot behind the crate answered that particular mystery. I turned around and sat down on the crate, since there was hardly anything else to sit on. I made myself a little more comfortable, kicking off my sandals and folding my legs up under me. He seemed to be waiting for me so once I was comfortable enough.

I folded my hands on my lap and glanced at him. "So, what would you like first? A story or a dance?"

Angel's eyes had widened slightly at my question and he stared at me, looking at me as if he were seeing me for the first time. "Wh-what?"

I giggled a little at his flabbergasted expression. "You have your choice in what you would like first. Either way, you're going to get both. I would go with the story first, the dance will be a nice distraction afterward."

"I-I don't," he said, stumbling for words. He shook his head, taking a moment to gather his thoughts, before he folded his arms. "Spirits, you have a way of throwing me off, do you know that? It's like some innate talent of yours." He looked at me after saying this and all I could do was grin back at him. He huffed out a chuckle, the deep sound making the butterflies in my stomach flutter. "OK then, story first."

I gave a quick nod as I adjusted my legs to get a little more relaxed. "It's going to be a long one Angel. You may not believe me. However, it is the goddess' honest truth. After I tell you this, I trust you to keep this to yourself except if you wish to speak with those who already know." I pulled up my left arm and my omni-tool flashed to life. "I have records, images, video footage... Everything I will be telling you has been documented and I will be sharing with you. As I told Joker, Dr. Chakwas and Commander Shepard before you: Do the research on your own to verify what I share with you."

I glanced up at him after this was all said and found his blue eyes focused on me, the look could best be described as keenly curious. I'm sure he must have wondered just what I had to share with him. He didn't doubt my words outright and was giving me a chance to have my say.

"All right," he said, leaning back against his console.

Receiving his consent, I took in another breath to calm my nerves, before letting it out and beginning my strange tale right from the beginning...

-o-

Two hours later, I was rooted to the spot on this crate, nervously fondling my dad's ring, as I kept my gaze on Angel. I had just finished telling him the full details of my life and had transferred the data of the reports from Randa about the surgeries I had been through in order to be rebuilt, the records of my birth, my life and my death. The records of my marriage to one Matthew Shepard of the United States Marine Corps and the divorce that followed four years later. The many videos that had been captured of my life before now, many of those vids consisting of Alice Shepard, my baby brother, Jason and the rest of my family who were long gone.

_Everything_ that Randa and I had managed to find over the past year, I shared with Angel.

It was nerve-wracking, almost as much as it had been when I was speaking with Joker and Shepard. I felt like I was waiting for a verdict that would decide my fate in this life. I don't know why I felt this way with Angel but I valued his opinion of me and I hoped that it would not drop after all was said...

"Spirits," he murmured as he looked over the reports of my surgeries on his omni-tool. "You were dead... 169 years..." He glanced at me, his blue eyes flicking between my own. "That's what Shepard had meant."

"What do you mean?"

He looked back down at his omni-tool, still reading through the files. "That day in the communications room, after you had left, Shepard had talked about you. She had said that if you trusted me enough to share your story, what you had been through, it would explain why she had been missing for these past two years. She really had been killed..." He trailed off as he continued to read through the files before he shook his head and lowered his arm. His omni-tool automatically disappeared from view. "It just explains so much... I-I'm sorry Estella, is it all right if we call it a night? I... have a lot to think about."

"Sure," I said as I unfolded my legs and moved to put my sandals back on. "So, a raincheck on the dance?" My heart was beginning to pound, for some reason the thought of being rejected his friendship because of what I told him really brought a pang of sadness. I hoped this wouldn't change his opinion of me...

I stood up, hoping that my inner turmoil was not obvious on my face, as I lifted my left hand to rub my upper arm in nervousness. He had looked deep in thought again and his gaze had snapped back to me after I had asked him the question. He hesitated before his mandibles head spread just a bit, indicating a small smile. "Oh, I forgot about that... Hm..." He folded his arms as he tilted his head, studying me. "Tomorrow. Off duty hours. Meet me here."

I couldn't help the relief that flooded through me at those words and my smile was a little bigger than it should have been. I gave a quick nod as I walked backwards toward the door, my gaze lingering on his. "I'll be here." The door swished open at my approach and I paused at the threshold. "And... thanks Garrus. For listening." I gave him one last smile before I turned and walked swiftly out of the room, the door closing behind me.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Realizations and a new mission...

Chapter 19

_ Estella _

The next day had arrived; the majority of the crew of the _Normandy_ was back on duty, a good number of them looking hung over. Kelly was among them and she had come to the med bay that morning hoping I would be able to give her something a little stronger than the normal pain killers that were available to the staff.

I simply frowned at my friend and told her to get large glass of water and check the first aid kit on her way out the door. It wasn't my fault she decided to go all out the night before. Though a part of me was tempted to give in, seeing as how terrible she actually looked, it was against protocol and she knew that better than anyone. She had simply sighed in response, knowing it had been a futile attempt but hoping it would work anyway. She told me she would see me later before she turned and left the med bay.

I could hear Dr. Hacksaw's gentle chuckles and I glanced over at my mentor, raising a single dark brow in question.

She caught my look and simply shook her head. "I'm just amused Estella. You are a professional… despite what may occur during your off hours…" She let that comment hang in the air between us and the blush was in my cheeks before I could stop it. Of course, the doc would have gotten wind of the latest vids to stream the extranet. I decided that silence was the best answer to give to a comment like that and turned back to my console to continue my studies.

The day passed with little incident. A few staff here and there trickling in for some pain killers for their hangovers before heading out to continue their duties. The doc had decided to take a break around mid-day to grab a bite to eat from the mess hall; she gave me a smile as she walked passed me. No doubt she was seeing me look up to glance out the window that had a perfect view of the corridor that led to the Main Battery. I had not noticed her smiling at me in a knowing way as she told me she would be back. I simply waved to her in response, my eyes quickly looking down at my console in a vain attempt to look focused.

The moment the door swished closed behind her; I automatically looked back up, my gaze focusing on the corridor. When there was no familiar tall figure to be seen, I slumped back against my chair and raised a hand to rub my fingers against my forehead. I had been like this all morning. I had barely slept last night after I had left Garrus' and this morning I was so anxious I was glancing up at the sight of any movement outside the med bay window. He had not once left his area and the doubt had begun creeping up again. Maybe he really did mind my history… Maybe-

I stifled down the thoughts as quickly as I could, trying to ignore that doubting voice that had become a constant in me ever since I had been sick in my previous life. The cancer had made me feel worthless and useless and less human… It was as if I wasn't a person anymore, just a statistic. Except to Alice, Amanda and my family, everyone else who I had known on a daily basis had looked at me and seen nothing more than a walking dead person. They had already been gearing up to say goodbye, distancing themselves from me before I could even blink.

It was a bit of stretch to think this way now, especially since I was healthier and stronger than I had ever been before. However, while my body had been healed, I still bore the mental scars of that time in my life. The past year since I had been brought back to life had given me some time to adjust but it was not long enough to completely make things better. There was still a part of me that thought those who would come to know my true history would see me as less than human because of how I had been brought back. Garrus has become an unexpected attachment. He wasn't family like Randa, Joker and Shepard and yet he wasn't a friend like Kelly and the doc. He was… _different_. There was something in him that something in me recognized and I couldn't put a finger on what it could possibly be…

As I pondered the strange insanity that was my relationship to this turian, I heard the door swish open and I glanced up to find none other than Shepard making her way into the med bay. My smile was automatic as I raised a hand in greeting. She smiled in return as she made her way to the doc's empty seat and settled herself down on it. She was wearing different clothing today- a pair of brown slacks and a loose white blouse that looked familiar…

My eyes lit up in recognition and I didn't know whether to be annoyed or amused. I decided to allow myself a bit of both as my gaze settled on her grey-blue orbs. "So... decided to do a little shopping in my closet this morning?"

Shepard's smile had brightened at this and she gave a shrug in response. "I noticed Kelly took a file out of your data pad and has been dressing like you in her off duty hours. I don't have anything like this in my closet so decided you would have a better selection." She glanced down at her chest and reached out to pluck the soft cotton material. "I like this. It's roomy and comfortable." She looked up at me, a slender brow raised in question. "I hope you don't mind."

I let out a very unladylike snort and waved my hand at her, dismissing the statement altogether. "Please, help yourself to anything of mine Jane. You're family… Just ask first OK? Besides, it looks good on you." I looked at her and the amused smile on her face was answer enough.

"You think so?" She asked, glancing down at herself before she sat up and stuck her breasts forward, turning this way and that, as if trying to admire herself. "I suppose it looks all right…" She glanced at me and her smile eased its way into a smirk. "Though I'm sure on you it's more flattering, what with your body type being the next hottest thing that the non-humans of the extranet have been drooling over lately."

"I-" I was struck dumb by that. Of course, she would have seen the vids that had cropped up last night from the nightclub but I didn't think she would come right out with it. She didn't the last time it happened. "I-"

"It's OK, El," she said in between chuckles. Her laughter made me relax and my body slowly eased itself from the tension that had gripped it. "In all honesty, this has been the funniest thing I had ever had the experience to witness first hand and I have worked with Joker a long time." She sat back in her chair, looking completely at ease. She studied me awhile before her relaxed face tightened up into a slight frown. "With everything that we've been tasked with… This mission… I have to thank you El." She saw the confused look on my face and her smile came back. "You've been a distraction, a welcome and much needed distraction. Your interactions with the crew, your constant bickering with Zaeed's flirtations and Solus' requests for samples," her smile grew bigger at this as she continued, "and your unintended use of our resident turian as your dance pole."

I opened my mouth to reply but she held up her hand to stave off any. "You've been keeping things around here alive. You've made these people and this ship feel like the silly and mundane moments in between the battles and the missions are just as important. So we don't forget…" She slowly lowered her hand, looking relaxed again. "Thank you for that. Lord knows, this mission would have been a hell a lot more stressful if you weren't here distracting everyone."

I studied her in surprise and all I could do was sit there, her words slowly sinking in. She was thanking me for my unintentional escapades that distracted everyone. I wasn't expecting that… The warmth that touched my heart was a welcome one and the smile that appeared on my face was shy. "I… uh… Thank you?"

She chuckled as she clasped her hands in front of her, her right forefinger tapping against her left hand. It was a gesture I was familiar with, one that Alice and Matthew used to do. I was surprised that nervous twitch was something Jane Shepard did but she was a Shepard as well so I really shouldn't have been. It was a given she would have inherited that nervous twitch. My smile had faded a little and I took in a break to calm my growing nerves. "So, why are you really here?"

She glanced up at me in surprise, her gaze flicking between my own before her smile came back and she shook her head. "I really need to get used to that."

"What?" I asked, my brows knitting together in confusion.

"You reading me like an open book," she said as she sat a little straighter. "You have this uncanny ability to know…" She stopped herself and shook her head. "Anyway, I originally came here to talk to you about Garrus." My heart gave a sudden jolt, my body immediately straightening up in attention. Shepard noticed my sudden attentiveness and the softness that appeared in her gaze was unexpected. "He came to talk to me last night… Apparently, you told him everything about you."

I could feel the heat in my cheeks as I looked away to glance out the window, staring fleetingly at the corridor. "Joker kind of bulldozed the fact that was I was his 200 year old aunt into Angel. It didn't leave much room for explaining that away…"

"I could see how that would cause a bit of a problem," she said, the smile could be heard in her voice. "Well, after you left him last night, he came to me to get a little more confirmation on your story. I told him what you told him except from my side of things..."

I frowned at this and glanced down at my gloved hands. "Was he… all right with it? With you?" My unasked question lingered between us and before I could look up, she had reached out and took my hand in hers. I glanced up at her, the fear quite clear in my eyes.

"Garrus is a good man – so to speak – and he is not like other people who are quick to judge." Her gaze focused on mine, willing me to understand. "He would not allow something like this to affect how he thinks of a person. As far as he was concerned, I was still me… Just with new parts." She gave my hand a squeeze as her smile softened. "And you are you… None of us had the pleasure of knowing you before Cerberus brought you back. Yet, the person we have gotten to know has a good heart. If that is any indication as to who you were, then you have always had a good heart Estella, and Garrus knows and appreciates that."

I let loose the breath I had been holding as she released my hand and sat back in her chair. "Which begs me to ask the question..." She trailed off at that and I focused my gaze on her, wondering what she was going to ask this time. She folded her arms beneath her breasts, the air of her becoming that of her commander persona. I sat up a little straighter, knowing she was going to ask something of me that I was not going to be comfortable with. "I haven't run this by Garrus yet and I don't think it would be a good idea considering how strongly the feelings are there between you two...Yet if you were to come, it may make this next mission a little easier for all of us, considering your now infamous extranet status."

I frowned at this; the one part of her statement catching with me was "the feelings are there between you two…"

"What do you mean-"

Shepard looked at me and studied me a moment before her smile lit up her face. "I know you're the one who bought Garrus' new armor. Thank you for that by the way, you have no idea how happy it made him and the rest of us." I gaped at her but she continued, ignoring my fish impression. "The attraction between the two of you is insane. I'm surprised neither of you had jumped each other yet. I thought for sure last night..." She caught the deep blush on my face and a heartfelt laugh escaped her. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed?"

The heat grew worse in my cheeks as I looked away, focusing on my console. "I've noticed… I just didn't think it was possible let alone mutual until last night. We… didn't really get a chance to talk about it after the bombshell that was my history." I shook my head and focused my gaze back on her. "But never mind that, what mission are you planning next? What do I have to do with it? And why would Garrus not like it?"

"We have a mission for a possible recruit on Illium, two if we’re lucky," she said, leaning forward to place her elbows on her knees, clasping her hands together. "Garrus is coming with me. I did not advise him of who my second choice would be."

I could feel the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. "I suppose that would be me..." I said, slight disbelief coloring my words. "That would be a bad idea Jane, after the last mission-"

"You proved yourself to be a proficient sniper despite little training," she interrupted, "and you were able to treat a severe wound in the field of battle so far as to keeping the patient alive until we were able to get him the medical help he needed to stay that way." She took in a breath and let out a sigh. "This mission will be dangerous but I need you there. Not only for your medical skills but because of your status among the Asari."

"My… status?" Confusion colored my words.

Shepard was trying not to smirk. "You seem to be an overnight extranet sex symbol among the Asari. Illium is an Asari planet. I'm hoping with you along you can be an even greater distraction so that we can gain easy access to the possible recruit. He is said to be working on Illium so that's where our mission will be."

"A distraction?" I repeated once again, sounding like a broken data pad file. "But, if you have me along on this mission… If Garrus really feels…"

"Exactly," said Shepard, "He is protective of those he cares for as friends. I don't want to know how he is concerning those he feels particularly strong for. This is why I will not be telling him about this particular part of this mission. Not yet anyway. He is not going to know you are coming let alone in what fashion until the very last minute. Yet, with you there as a distraction, we can get to our assassin easily before he finishes his job and disappears on us."

"Wait," I blinked and blinked again. "Assassin? Our next recruit is an assassin? If he is working as an assassin, then what the hell am I gonna do to as a distraction to help you get to him before he gets to his target?"

At the smirk on Shepard's face, I couldn't help but fight back the shiver of unease that made its way up my spine. Goddess help me, I was going to regret asking that, wasn't I?


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A promised dance

Chapter 20

_ Estella _

_ All right… I can do this… _

I stood at the doorway of the Main Battery, my heart pounding like a bongo drum.

I took in a breath and then two, trying to calm my nerves.

It was after hours, off duty time, and I was here as promised twenty-four hours after telling him my story. I didn't know if Angel realized that I kept my promises or if he even knew that I was standing outside of his door, trying to gather my courage. I wondered if EDI had made him aware of my presence or if she was watching me stand there, as I knew she did with the others on this ship. I wondered if there were things she kept to herself or if she reported absolutely everything…

I decided it was better to leave those thoughts alone. It wasn't as if my dances with Angel weren't already made public. Yet, this particular dance I had planned for him was for his eyes alone. Closing my eyes to calm my growing nerves, I took in one last breath. "Dee, please keep everything that goes on within these rooms private," I said as I slowly opened my eyes.

There was a moment before I heard EDI's voice respond through my omnitool. "Understood Estella," she said, the inflection in her voice was hard to determine but I wondered if it was amusement. It was hard to tell with that AI…

Taking a step closer to the door, my omnitool reacted with the door and it slid open, revealing Angel still hard at work at his console to the Main Battery. At the sound of the door opening, he turned around, looking as if he were expecting someone else. At the sight of me, his words fell away from his lips and he just stared at me before he finally found his voice. "Es- Estella?" His voice swept over my senses as it always did, drowning me in this never ending need to hear more of him. I wonder if it was possible to get drunk on the sound of a voice alone?

Gathering my wits about me, I walked further into the room and the door swished closed behind me. I stood there, studying him as he studied me. I was dressed in a loose flowing red blouse with bell sleeves and a pair of loose black sweats. I was barefoot, and my hair was pulled back into a bun at the nape of my neck. I wore nothing else save for my father's ring on the silver chain around my neck. I folded my arms beneath my breasts as I shifted the weight to my left foot. "You asked me to come off duty hours tonight for the dance I promised you..."

He gaped slightly, his blue orbs flicking around the room before they settled back on me. "I- uh- didn't realize you would take it seriously… Estella, you don't-"

"I do," I said, walking further into the room, slowly and carefully, like a predator stalking their prey. "You won the wager after all… You asked me to come tonight…" I stopped before him, slowly dropped my arms, and held out my hands to him. "So, here I am, as promised."

His throat visibly moved as he swallowed, his pupils dilating as the sound of his familiar purr erupted and rolled over my senses even further. I closed my eyes as I took in the dulcet tones and vibrations, my body reacting in a way I had never experienced before. This turian could make me feel as if I was nothing more than a spirit within this body, aching to be released from its physical constraints…

I slowly opened my eyes and I gestured behind me toward the door, "You might want to lock that if you don't want anyone walking in..."

He blinked once and then twice before he turned to his console and hit a series of keys. There was a beep and I glanced over my shoulder to catch sight of the red symbol over the door, indicating it was locked from the inside. No one, save for the Commander and EDI, could override the lock and I knew that neither of them would do so. They were well aware of my plans for this evening.

I turned my attention back to my turian and a slow smile appeared on my lips. "Now, go sit over there." I pointed to that lone crate on the right side of the room, the one I had sat on not too long ago to tell my story. Angel studied me for a moment before he complied, turning away from the console to walk slowly over to the crate. He turned slightly to face me, his blue orbs watching my every movement as he slowly sat down on the crate. Even I had to admit, the new armor looked so enticing on him…

Ignoring those sensual thoughts, I moved to stand in front of him and took in a steadying breath. "I need you to sit there." I held up a forefinger and my gaze hardened. "No matter what I do… Do not move from that spot… Do not reach out… Do not touch… Our wager was I dance for you when you asked for it. The wager was open to a dance of my choice. This dance I have picked for you is one where you _cannot_ touch me in anyway." I put my arm to my side and let an amused smile to play on my lips. Considering everything that was going to be happening with this new recruitment mission, I would need Angel to be as relaxed as possible tonight… Tomorrow was going to be a bitch…

"Do you still wish for me to dance for you?" I asked, giving him the option to back away gracefully. There was a part of me that knew that after this dance, there would be no turning back for either of us.

Angel swallowed once more before he gave a single nod in consent.

Well, there goes that exit…

I reached down and pulled down my sweat pants, revealing my bare legs for him to see. I heard his slight intake of breath as I kicked away the pants, the hem of the loose red blouse ending just below my hips. I reached down to pull the blouse off, revealing that I was wearing nothing more than a red lace bra and matching underwear. I took the blouse and tied it about my hips, making an impromptu skirt that would twitch and flare about with each movement I made. Satisfied with the last-minute belly dance outfit I came up with, I reached out to touch my omnitool and played the one piece of music that had been dancing about my head since the promise I had made the night before…

The sound of a violin filled the immediate space, outside of the humming of the batteries, and it hovered there for almost a minute, playing its sorrowful and aching tune, before the sound of tabla drums and other percussion began to follow along. I was already immersing myself within the music and I began to move, my hips twitching and gyrating with the beat of the drums. My breasts thrust forward as I took a step toward him and then another, moving achingly slow as my arms and hips moved in time with the music.

The moment the drums became stronger and the sound of more string instruments picked up, I was within a foot of Angel's reach. He was doing as promised, his hands were firmly at his sides though I could see the tension within his blue orbs.

The moment I reached out to touch his shoulder, his body trembled and a soft groan escaped his mouth. His right arm moved, looking as if it were about to reach out toward me, but he caught himself and clenched his fists tightly. He moved his arms tighter against his sides and his jaw clenched shut. He was fighting a losing battle…

The music continued to play on, the drums and the violin bringing forth the emotion that both Angel and I had been trying so hard to deny…

_ Yearning… _

_ Aching… _

The drums and stringed instruments along with the main violin were building to a slow climax and I was moving along with it, my dance becoming more sultry and desperate as I moved as close to Angel as I could. My heaving breasts and gyrating hips brushed against him several times, I was nearly on his lap but not like the last time. This time it was a sensual insanity that was driving the both of us. With each moment of physical contact with him, I could hear his moan, a strong purr and a growl under his breath…

Finally, the music came to a slow stop and the drums and violin played to a close.

At this time, my back was to him and I was slowly easing myself out of the dance, coming back to reality…

The next thing I know, strong arms had reached around my waist and I was being pulled down onto Angel's lap. I could feel his purr vibrating against my back as I felt his warm tongue lick against the left side of my neck before the feel of his sharp teeth lingered above where he had licked. It was a promise of something, that much I could understand, but I wasn't a turian female so it did not register with me at that moment the significance of such a motion.

All I could do was let a soft smile touch my lips. "You lose..."

He paused in his ministrations, his mouth lingering above the skin of my neck. He had been so focused that my words did not register for a moment or two. His hold on me tightened as his voice grumbled a reply. "Did I?"

"You weren't supposed to touch me," I said as I tilted my head to the right, allowing him access to the spot on my neck that he seemed to like.

His deep chuckles vibrated against me as he continued to nibble on the soft skin of my neck. "Well… You said I couldn't touch you while you were dancing… You didn't say anything about once the music stopped..."

Well… Shit… He was right.

I could only laugh in response and settled myself further against him and tilted my head further, allowing him even more access. "Well, it seems we've arrived at an impasse."

His deep chuckle was answer enough and I could only smile and savor this one peaceful moment before hell wound break loose for tomorrow with that mission on Illium.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Espionage, a kidnapping, and a live dance... How do I find myself in these situations?

Chapter 21

_ Estella _

You should know by now that whenever I get involved in anything that means I will be interacting with others, something is bound to happen that will mean I will be facing some kind of embarrassing situation. I mean, the goddess herself had made it clear- though this was a second chance at life that she had blessed me with, it didn't mean I was exempt from the typical luck that had befallen me from my previous life. If you currently do not believe me after all that we had been through together, let me enlighten you as to the current situation I have found myself in.

Destination: Ilium.

Objective: Recruit one assassin.

My duty: Obtain any possible information pertaining to the potential recruit's whereabouts by whatever means necessary and deliver it to the commander prior to her arrival on Ilium.

Yeah, I was really the type to do espionage…

Shepard had made it clear that the way she would like me to obtain this information was to use my newly acquired status as an extranet sex symbol to the asari and flirt that info out of whomever my target would happen to be. She did not want to give the assassin a heads up for our intent to recruit him if he was monitoring for such a thing.

A Cerberus marked ship and a well-known human Specter believed to be dead would raise some red flags. Having an extranet sex symbol with a wizened old merc as a bodyguard going to look for a potential employee that specialized in killing people? That was not quite as suspicious. After all, celebrities had their stalkers, even extranet ones. I may have come across a particular person or persons that were a little too exuberant in their adoration despite many instances in reminding these persons that they needed to maintain their distance. They needed to be… dealt with.

At least, that was the story that Randa had leaked out on several extranet gossip sites that had garnered an interest in me. As of this moment, there were several stories of fans that had persisted in their hunting down the illusive human dancer and managing to find her whereabouts. She did not give detailed info but it was enough of a lure to be snapped up by my real fans. Those gossip columns had become popular among the circle of asari systems where those vids of my dancing were especially popular. Ilium was just one of the many asari worlds where I may be recognized and the fact that I would be looking for a contracted killer would not be too out of the realm of possibility in this day and age.

I still didn't feel too comfortable about it.

Did I mention that I had a wizened old merc as a body guard?

Yeah, that happened.

I swear I heard Randa chuckling to herself the moment Shepard had told me. We were in the comm room and Shepard was debriefing me on my part in the recruitment mission to come. The moment she had mentioned that Zaeed Massani would be joining me as my bodyguard, my mouth had dropped open in surprise.

Despite my protests for the good commander to see reason, she had made her decision. Zaeed was the least likely to draw suspicion. He was a human merc; he worked whatever jobs he could get. Working as a bodyguard for a young human woman who had skyrocketed into extranet stardom was well within his job scope. It helped that he looked the part. I would have believed her if she hadn't been smiling the entire time she was explaining this to me. Randa didn't help with the chuckles I could hear coming from her corner. They both knew that Zaeed Massani liked to harass me any chance he got. His nickname of "Sweetcheeks" had not abated from the day we had met. In fact – somehow, someway – that nickname had been attached to the extranet vids since no one knew who I was. Apparently, they had to call me by something and someone who knew – who _knew_ – I hated that nickname with a passion had started the trend.

I had a strong feeling it was Randa's doing…

So, a hop, skip and a jump later onto an unmarked vessel my dear Randa had procured for just the occasion, Zaeed and I were on our way to Ilium ahead of Shepard and Angel. The _Normandy_ had stopped at a local station to refuel and stock up on new supplies. We had left when everyone else was busy with prepping the ship for the coming journey as to avoid unnecessary questions from certain members of the team who were not in the know – i.e. one Garrus Vakarian.

Throughout the journey to Ilium on this smaller vessel, Zaeed had been more vocal than usual with his commentary. The only thing I could do was sit there and bear it; I didn't want to give him the satisfaction that his descriptive compliments about my person were getting to me. It didn't help that Randa had managed to find a 21st century dress that was styled in a way that accentuated the very curves I liked to hide from the public eye. It was a lilac colored affair– sleeveless with a plunging neckline and high slit that ended just shy of my upper right hip bone. It would have been considered a two-piece number if not for the tasteful flowery lace that wrapped around my midriff. A pair of matching heels and nylons gave me added height and an illusion of grace to my otherwise short stature. My hair was styled into a nest of curls that were pinned back at the nape of my neck. A pair of silver hoops and a silver choker completed the look.

Needless to say, it was no wonder that Zaeed had been vocal the entire journey to Ilium. I looked like a dancer that had stepped out of the pages of a human history book. I had told Randa I was supposed to be blending in with the crowd not screaming out my origins. She had merely smiled and told me that it was for my part in the mission. I was playing the part of a human woman who specialized in dances from the 21st century. I was becoming famous- I had to stand out if only to get to where I needed to go.

I didn't believe her.

Over the past year, I had come to know that Miranda Lawson had a wicked sense of humor that she usually kept hidden away from the public eye except, of course, whenever it was aimed toward me. Ever since Zaeed had come into the picture though, she seemed to have gotten worse. I think she mostly had me dress this way in order to get rise out of me since Zaeed would be watching my back, so to speak. Not that I was unarmed mind you, I did have a small pistol that was hidden away on a holster wrapped around my left thigh, but that was it. Light shield armor, no sniper rifle, I was essentially going in naked. I did have some reservations about this whole thing but Shepard had assured me that they would be close behind us so if anything unlikely did happen, I would be all right. My job was to get the information where this assassin would be, contact her once I had obtained the info, and stay safe.

Of course, the goddess had something else planned for me this day. I can't say that the way it all down would have been preferred but in the end it helped to avoid the heavy resistance that Shepard, Angel and Zaeed would have had to go through in their mission to get to me and the target. I suppose distractions are my forte…

-o-

"Sweetcheeks, ya wouldn't mind just givin' us a little twirl, would ya?" Zaeed had asked, for the umpteenth time that day.

We had just arrived at Ilium, dealt with the administration formalities and docking fees, before we made our way into Nos Astra. Zaeed was following behind me and it wasn't for his bodyguard duty that was for sure. He was taking advantage of the way I was dressed and had taken to throwing in every lurid compliment under the sun that he could since it was just the two of us on this mission. I maintained my silent treatment as we made our way to the building that held what was essentially the chamber of commerce for this city and its colony.

I had to admit, this city was breathtaking. When we had arrived, it was late afternoon and this system's sun was steadily making its way toward the western horizon. The many towers and spires of this city sparkled beneath the light and if I had been a hapless tourist I would have never been aware of the hidden dangers of this place. Yet, I wasn't, and I had been forewarned that this place could rival Omega in the dangers it presented on a daily scale. It helped that Zaeed had been here plenty of times before so he directed me to the building we were looking for.

Once inside, I was able to meet with a Nos Astra official named Careena, an asari that was of the typical beauty found with their race. I explained who I was and what services I was looking for – I stressed it had to be of a discreet nature and that the person I was looking for was reputed to be very skilled at his particular profession. I told her I had heard that he had arrived here in Nos Astra on another job and I was hoping to meet with him.

At these words, a spark of recognition had shown in her eyes and a knowing smiled touched her lips. "In that case… Ms. Moots was it?" I ignored the pang of annoyance at that name. Randa's sense of humor was once again shining through – she had given me an alias of Ranee Ell-Moots. I swear to the goddess I was going to kill her when I saw her after this.

"You may want to meet with our resident information broker," Careena had continued speaking, not noting the slight frown on my face, while she activated her omnitool."She is young but she is the best at what she does. If anyone will know the whereabouts of the person you're looking for it is her." She had pulled up some data her omnitool and gave the information of one Liara T'soni. The name rang a bell for me but at that moment I couldn't remember where I had heard it before.

I thanked her for the help as I copied the information to my own omnitool. As I was doing so, I was unaware of an asari who had paused in her walk to wherever she was going as she passed the open doorway of Careena's office. She had been staring at me with blatant fascination and shock. When I finally had that distinct feeling that I was being watched it was too late and I had glanced up just in time to see the asari turn tail and run out of the room – after her omnitool had disappeared.

A sinking feeling had settled into the pit of my stomach but I steadfastly ignored it and focused on my mission. After bidding Careena goodbye, I had turned on my heel and proceeded to head out of the building, my heels clicking along the way. I heard a low whistle from beside me and Zaeed's gruff voice spoke:

"Goddam', nice twirl darlin'… That arse is still right sin, especially in that dress. Remind me to thank Shepard for this one."

"Up yours, Massani," I growled in reply as I led the way further into the city, following the directions that led to the office of one Liara T'soni. He simply chuckled as he followed behind me.

-o-

We had found the information broker's office after a quick shuttle ride.

I was surprised to find a slight crowd of asari lingering outside of the building. The moment Zaeed and I had come into view; they had turned their focus on us. There was a slight shuffling and energy of excitement that ran through them the moment they saw me but not one of them said a word to us as we passed them. There were some whispers, some unsure words amongst them, but with each step I took, the whispers started to give rise to slight gasps and excited chattering. I could hear Zaeed chuckling behind me as we walked into the building.

"Not a word," I warned him, already knowing what he was chuckling about.

Meeting with Liara had been interesting to say the least.

After her receptionist had gaped at the sight of me, she had directed us to the information broker's office. Liara had been in the middle of a call – in which she had not so subtly threatened with her biotics to get the results she was looking for – before disconnecting the call and turning her attention to us. A look of surprise had touched her face at the sight of me before she made her way to desk and sat down. "Ranee Ell-Moots, I presume?"

I gave her a nod in acknowledgment as I went to take a seat in one of empty chairs in front of her desk. Zaeed remained standing by the doorway. The information broker had looked at me with keen interest when we were finally settled in. When she had pulled up her omnitool, I noticed there was a slight blush in her cheeks. "Careena had notified me that you were on the way. She said that you were looking for a person of a particular talent." She focused her gaze on me; I noticed that her eyes were a very pretty shade of blue.

"Yes," I said in reply as I crossed my right leg over my knee and settling my chin against my hand as I studied her. "I have recently come under some _unwanted_ attention due to some vids that had unfortunately been leaked on the extranet." I noticed that her eyes had traveled to follow the length of my leg and I couldn't help the amusement that bubbled up. "I have managed to maintain some anonymity but I am starting to be recognized wherever I go. On one of my trips to the Citadel, I had the misfortune of gaining the attention of a particular batarian that refused to take no for an answer. He's been adamant in his stalking of me and I fear for my safety and my life." Her eyes had lifted to catch with mine and her blush had deepened. My smile was an amused one. "His species' reputation precedes him. I would not like to disappear from the face of Citadel Space because of a batarian's lack of understanding the word no – despite the many languages that a translator is programmed with. I need him gone for good."

"I think I may know of who you are looking for," she said, her voice sounding somewhat strained. She seemed to catch herself and cleared her throat. She moved toward her desktop monitor and started typing away at the keys. Her monitor flashed with data as she kept her gaze focused on the info that displayed. "His name is Thane Krios; he arrived here a couple of days ago. From what I have gathered, my sources tell me he may be targeting a corporate executive: Nassana Dantius. He had contacted a woman named Seryna." She cast a glance to Zaeed, who had remained by the doorway to her office and had not said a word the entire time. She looked back at me and tilted her head in a thoughtful manner. "You may want to speak with her. She would have a better idea as to his current location." She pulled up the information to reach this Seryna, whose office was based in the cargo transfer levels, and allowed me the chance to copy it down.

"Thank you," I said with a smile as I rose to my feet. "You've been a big help."

Liara got to her feet as well as her eyes inadvertently traveled down lower than was proper. Her blush had deepened as she cleared her throat and quickly focused on my eyes once more. "You are welcome Ms. Moots," she said before she walked around her desk to see me out. "I do have to say," she continued as I followed her to the doorway. Her voice had gotten lower so that only I could hear her. "I am quite a fan…"

A light giggle escaped me as I cast a sideways glance at her; she did not look the type to enjoy the kind of dancing I did on those vids. Her eye caught mine and the light tilt of her lips was one of amusement, her blush finally fading. She reached out to shake my hand in goodbye and I returned the gesture, a part of me really liked her.

"By the way," she said as Zaeed had left the office and I moved to follow. "If you ever happen to see the turian you danced with again, tell him Liara sends her regards." When I had paused in mid step and looked back at her in question, her smile had grown. "I know him. He's an old friend of mine. His name is Garrus Vakarian, if you didn't know already." She must have caught the deep blush that was now warming my cheeks because her smile turned into a light smirk. "I would assume you are quite familiar with him then… Interesting… Good luck on your mission." And with that she had turned and disappeared back into her office, the door swishing closed behind her.

I could only stare at the closed door for a moment before I shook my head in amazement. I would have to ask Angel and Shepard about this Liara character when I got back.

-o-

Seryna was the type of woman – asari – that was comfortable in her own skin. She knew what she wanted and how to get it. If the credits were right, she would prove to be a good ally or terrible enemy.

The moment we met though, it seemed as if that had all flown out of the window. After getting over the initial shock of meeting me in the flesh, she began her flirtatious assault without fear. She was downright assertive in her manner and not so subtle in her attraction. She was… one of my biggest fans, to say the least. When I had managed to squeeze in why I was here and that I was looking for one Thane Krios, her manner had gone from flirtatious to downright angry.

"You gotta name? I'll make sure the bastard gets put down before they even think of stepping close to you. I am not having one of my favorite dancers in the galaxy get taken before she has a chance to shine, even if you are a human."

"Th-that's sweet of you," I had said, the blush in my cheeks was so deep I was sure you could fry an egg on them. I heard Zaeed's deep chuckle from behind me. I ignored him. "But I'm fine. I need to keep this discreet. Do you know where I can find him or know how I can contact him?"

She had glanced at Zaeed, studied him, before she looked at me and started to explain what was going on. Apparently, Thane contacted her just the day before regarding Nassana Dantius. She used to work as the head of security for Nassana before she found out that the executive was having people killed to cover up some secrets. When she had confronted Nassana, she had been fired. Seryna didn't take too kindly to that for obvious reasons, so when the assassin had contacted her, she gave him the info he was looking for. She wasn't going to shed a tear about it. She then pointed the way to Dantius towers – two buildings that stood tall against the western horizon. One was complete and one was still under construction. She said that Nassana would be found in the penthouse level in the first tower.

"I doubt he would make a move so early, unless he is a crazy man and prefers to go in guns blazing without a plan," she had said. She then explained that Nasanna had hired some Eclipse goons as security. Apparently, she was the paranoid type and kept the mercs around her and her towers at all times. If Krios was as good of an assassin as he reputed to be, he would plan and plan well. Which meant that Shepard and her team had some time to get to him before he got to his target. There was a part of me that was tempted to search him out myself and see if I can convince him to talk with me first but decided against it. From the sounds of it, he was a man on a mission and he would not let anything get in the way until it was completed.

I thanked Seryna for her info and before Zaeed and I could leave, she had managed to convince me to take a picture with her. I obliged, not seeing any harm in it at the time.

Yeah…

Maybe I should have said no…

-o-

After traveling around Nos Astra and getting what info I could, I had enough intel to send back to Shepard. Our assassin was still here, he had a target and a destination which means he wouldn't be sticking around for much longer. I sent all of the info to her and Miranda in an encrypted message and took a mental step back with a sigh. My mission was complete.

Seeing that we were done and that I needed a pick me up, Zaeed had taken us to a local bar for some much-needed drinks. It was a bar, like any other bar you would find in the galaxy. Problem was, I was recognized here too so I wasn't able to relax as much as I liked. Don't get me wrong, the fans were sweet and friendly and a majority of them flirty, but I was tired and I needed a mental break. I told Zaeed I was heading to the ladies’ room to freshen up and he simply waved at me while trying to talk up an uninterested asari at the bar. I had to laugh at that, I guess he finally got tired of his own game of teasing me.

After asking a gaping asari directions to the bathroom, I followed the directions she gave, which was down a corridor and up a flight of stairs. It was as I was climbing the stairs that a couple of asari had emerged from the doorway and started down the stairs. I didn't pay them any mind, this was an asari world after all, but the moment I passed them, two pairs of hands had grabbed me roughly by the upper arms. I gasped in surprise and I looked at the both of them, shock radiating from the very core of me. "What are you doing?"

"This is her," said one, completely ignoring my question, and looking at her companion. "C'mon, let's get out of here. The boss isn't gonna wait all day."

"What the hell are you doing? Let me go!" I struggled against their surprisingly strong grip when the barrel of a pistol was jammed against the side of my right temple.

"Listen human," the second one said as she kept the pistol trained dead center. "I don't see what the big deal is about you. So you look like an asari Matron with turian colored skin who dances. I honestly don't care. But the boss wants you so you're coming quietly or I am going to meet my quota today."

I stilled for an instant, my eyes flicking to my right and seeing the unmistakable colors of an Eclipse merc.

Well, shit, how had I not noticed that before?

I wasn't trained for close combat like this so my choice was essentially a moot point and my pistol was out of reach.

Seeing that I was complying, the two mercs took me down the stairs, further into the back, and out of a side door into an alley where a shuttle was waiting for us. How long had they been planning this? Who was their boss? How was I going to get out of this one?

Goddess… Shepard was not going to like this…

-o-

So, here we are in my present situation.

Several hours after being kidnapped by Eclipse mercs, I was standing in front of the desk of one Nassana Dantius in the penthouse level of her tower. It was on the top most floor and had a breathtaking view of the setting sun. I would have enjoyed the view in an entirely different setting, right now I was beyond annoyed and very, very anxious. She was standing behind her desk with smug look on her face. Behind and on either side of her stood three Eclipse mercs, standing guard. Two human males and one asari.

Hm… Maybe she had a thing for humans?

"Ranee Ell-Moots," she said, taking a step up to her desk and pulling up some data that scrolled across a screen built within the surface. She glanced up at me and leaned on her desk, trying to pull off the air of nonchalance. She wasn't good at it. Even from this distance, I could see the blush in her cheeks. Goddess, what was it about these asari? I get that I was different from most humans, but did they really find me that attractive? I was just shorter and thicker, not much of a difference from your standard human female.

"Considering that your goons had been so kind to escort me here, and you know my name, might I ask who you are?" I asked, placing a hand in my hip while I placed all of my weight on my left foot. After walking all day in these heels, my feet were killing me. My current position had managed to let some of the skirt to my dress slide away, allowing the slit to do its job and revealing a length of hip, thigh and calf. It caught Nasanna's attention right away and she wasn't being very discreet in showing her attraction. Neither were the human males for that matter; they were leering.

"My name's Nassana Dantius," she said as she looked at me. "You could say I'm a fan… When the extranet sites blew up with headlines that the infamous human dancer was here in Nos Astra… Well, I had to meet you for myself."

I allowed a light smile to touch my lips. "From the heavy guard I saw on the way up here, I'm surprised you would take such a risk for little old me."

"I consider it worth it," she said as she pushed off of her desk and walked around it toward me. "You come to Nos Astra with a single bodyguard – a bodyguard who didn't do his job very well by the way – looking for something. Based on what I know, you need protection. You can't really go anywhere in Citadel space now that you are recognized, can you?" She came to a stop in front of me and folded her arms beneath her breasts. "I can help you. I have the resources, I can keep you well protected."

Oh, by the goddess…

"Well, that seems generous of you," I said in reply, keeping my eyes on her guards as she started to walk slowly around me. My heart was pounding like a bongo drum and I was cursing myself for leaving Zaeed's side. Of course, neither of us would have expected kidnapping would take place on this mission. I tried to keep myself calm. "I'm not naive. You want something… Everyone wants something… So, what do you want in return?"

Nassana came to a stop in front of me and the smile was back on her face. "Straight to the point. I like that in a woman. What I want is to hire you. You could say as my own personal dance instructor. It would be on a permanent basis, of course."

Of course…

"As good as an offer it is, I do have prior contracts that I have to finish. If I were to disappear, it would be very bad for business." I had to stall in some way. Give the assassin a chance or at least until Shepard could get here. Thank the goddess for small blessings I suppose…

"And a business woman, even better." Nassana pulled up her omnitool. "I am currently in the middle of some difficult matters so I'm afraid this discussion can't be put off for another day. And I can't let you leave..."

Shit.

"Until this little problem I have is dealt with, you'll be my guest… In the meantime, I have a request." As she dropped her arm, a camera bot had hovered down from a port in the ceiling and made its way over to us. Its light flashed on, blinding me for a moment, as it hovered around me. "A little dance live for all the galaxy to see..."

Oh, you've got to be kidding me!

"Live?" I repeated to her as a deep blush crept up into my cheeks.

"We've seen the vids. It's very easy to fake movements like that with the right editing software." Nassana was looking absolutely giddy by this time as she turned to move back to her desk. She turned back to me and gave a nod. "Prove it that you are as good of a dancer as think you are and I might reconsider letting you leave."

Blasted for the whole galaxy to see? Goddess, how did I get myself in these situations? My brain wracked itself over and over with what was the best course of action. In the end, I decided the embarrassment and the exposure would be a risk worth taking if only because I knew that Randa and Shepard would be scouring every nook and cranny of Nos Astra looking for me. That is if Zaeed had managed to let them know I was missing. Having my location blasted for all the galaxy to see was a great beacon to follow and let them know that I was alive. Especially for Joker, he would be out of his mind with worry, knowing him as I do.

I had taken a moment to think it over before I allowed a smile to touch my lips and gave a slight nod in consent. "Very well Nassana… I believe I can oblige a simple request." I mentally prepared myself for the role I was about to play, remembering every sultry and seductive dance I had ever done in my past life. My mind locked a rhythm and the song connected to that rhythm and I knew it would be the best one to do for this show I was about to put on. It helped that Randa had dressed me for the part, she unintentionally may have aided me in surviving this little escapade.

I pulled up my omnitool and found the track that had come to mind. It was one I had listened to on end back when it had first come out. One in which the drumbeats were quite simple but seductive and very fun to dance to. "Take a seat and relax," I said to her as I cast a glance to the camera that was aimed my way. Its light was on me and there was a smaller red light that signaled it was recording. "This will be fun. I promise."

It was time.

_Please, Randa I hope you catch this…_

The track began, and the music flowed from my omnitool, a sultry and seductive drumbeat that felt like a pulse. This music was unlike the other fast beats I had danced to in the other vids. The voice of a human woman began singing in time with this drumbeat and music, her lyrics telling of her craving for her man and her promises to him. She had wanted him, and she wanted him to come find her.

The first minute of the song, I began my dance with slow steps and a twitch of the hips with each step that followed. My skirt flowed around me, the slit revealing heel clad legs that strained with tense muscles. After the first minute, the gasping chorus kicked in and I struck a pose with my hips moving seductively from side to side before twirling to the side and thrusting my breasts out and arching my back. My hair fell out of the bun it had been in and fell in a torrent of curls around my face.

I didn't let it distract me as I made of show of making love to the camera, making sure that any and all eyes would be drawn to me. I had to be sure that this was going to be the best dance I have ever done so far. If there was a chance that it would catch the attention of my crew to come find me, I would have a chance of getting out of here in one piece. By this time, the music kept on in its breathy lyrics and pulsing drumbeats, a slow paced and sensual song that left one with an aching need that goes unfulfilled. I was moving with spin, a thrust of heaving breasts, a leg splayed out with an arched back while my skirt flared and twirled around me. At the height of the song, I had lowered myself to the floor and began to slowly rise, gyrating my hips in time with the beat until I threw my head back and let my hands trail down over my face, neck, breasts and hips. With a final twirl and one last twitch of my hips, the song was over and all I was left with was a pounding heart and nerves.

My audience was silent and all eyes were on me.

Apparently, I had done a better job than I thought, or the Eclipse were not doing their job of patrolling very well because a shadow had fallen from a vent up in the ceiling behind the desk. It was silent but quick as it moved toward the first human merc and snapped his neck. It moved to the second human merc and threw a well-aimed punch that crushed his larynx. He then grabbed the merc's gun and shot down the asari merc and the camera for good measure before quickly moving to Nassana, who had stood up in the confusion. Before I could even register all that had happened, the shadow had shot the asari straight in her gut and she let out a gasping breath as the last of her life escaped her.

The shadow had laid her gently on the surface of her desk and crossed her hands before he set the gun aside and clasped his own, bowing his head as if in prayer. After everything that had happened, I could stand there and stare at what appeared to be the assassin that Shepard had been looking for. While he seemed deep in prayer, be it for the lives he took or for himself, who knew for sure, I had sent a prayer of my own to the goddess above in thanks. He had arrived just in time.

As I stood there, the adrenaline slowly easing from my system, I wondered what kind of battle this was that I had just fought. It sure felt like I had been fighting some kind of battle, but I didn't spend a single thermal clip…

"Are you all right?" asked a very, _very_ , deep voice that seemed to fluctuate in some weird way through my translator. It immediately did funny things to my insides and I tensed up right away, this feeling of attraction at the sound of that voice was not a welcome one. My walls immediately slammed up and tightened down, mentally throwing the key toward Angel, wherever he was right now.

_Oh, goddess no… I am not listening to another alien with a voice that literally sounds like sex. I already have one, thank you very much._

I took in a breath and focused my gaze on the shadow, who had walked around the desk to reveal his face in the light of the setting sun. Thane Krios was a drell. A humanoid species that one could say could descended from a reptile lineage. However, aside from the scales and the large black eyes, he looked like a hairless, green scaled human male. A male that was wearing a form fitting dark outfit that left little to the imagination.

Yeah, I was not touching this one… I'll leave him to the other women thank you very much.

I let out a soft laugh as I shook my head. "I've… been through worse, surprisingly." I reached up to try and sort out the mess of loose curls that was my hair, trying and failing. Instead, as I tried to wrap it back into a bun, I focused my attention back on the drell assassin. "I'm surprised you got here so quickly."

Krios started to walk around the desk, his gaze studying me, I couldn't tell what the look on his face was. It was slightly devoid of any obvious expression and those dark, fathomless eyes did not help. "I had heard you were searching for me… When word got out that you had been taken by Eclipse mercs to Dantius Towers… Well, I was not going to let an innocent woman be harmed and since my goal was here anyway." He stopped a few feet from me and clasped his hands behind his back, his posture rigid. "It was surprisingly easy making my way up here. It helped that the majority of the Eclipse guards were distracted by a live broadcast. Thank you for that by the way, your distraction helped me get to my target quicker than expected." He paused at this as he tilted his head to the side. "Now, it is only a matter of finding a way out of here without you getting harmed..."

Once my bun was secured, I reached down to my left thigh and unholstered the pistol I had. The guards had missed it, not thinking apparently, when they brought me in to check if I was armed. I supposed with the way I was dressed, I was considered harmless. I activated the shield armor from my omnitool and took in a breath to calm my rising nerves. "I may not be a trained assassin, but I did have some training. If you can find us a quick and quiet way out of here, I can hold my own."

Before he had a chance to respond, my omnitool flared to life and the sound of gunfire and explosions emerged before a welcome voice followed suit, the sound of it making my heart skip with anticipation and an unexpected emotion filled with warmth. My stomach, as always when hearing this voice, swooped down and up to my throat, making it difficult to breathe…

"Estella?" Angel's deep, flanging voice – which was usually calm and strong even in the heat of battle- sounded harried, even worried. "El, can you hear me? It's Garrus. Answer me if you can."

The smile that lit my face was one of extreme relief. "Hey Angel, I'm all right," I said in response as I brought my hand up to my ear. "You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice."

I could hear the relief in his voice as the sound of shooting had faded somewhat. "Thank the spirits. Shepard, Zaeed and I are on our way to your location but there's still quite a few mercs between us. Just stay safe, we'll get to you."

"I always stay safe Angel, you know that," I said in reply and my smile grew warm at the sound of his deep chuckle. The sound of another explosion emerged but this time I could hear it from several floors below as well, the floor shuddering a little beneath our feet. I wondered if that was Shepard getting a little trigger happy with some explosives down there...

"By the way," he said, catching my attention from the explosion. "Saw the broadcast…" He trailed off at that, his voice had taken on that deep flange that always made my heart flutter, even through a comm unit. Goddess, I could only wonder what he thought of my dancing...

"Nice dress." He left it at that and the line clicked off. I had heard it though. The promise in that voice. I think I was going to be in deep trouble when Angel and I got another moment alone together.

"I take it these friends of yours are the one causing the distraction downstairs?" Krios had been quiet through my exchange with Angel and I looked at him in surprise, having completely forgotten he was there.

"Yeah, my team," I said with a smile. "They'll be here soon. They're the reason I was actually trying to find you. Would you be all right with talking with them when they get here? They've come a long way."

At this, Krios chuckled, actually chuckled, and gave a slight bow of his head. "I don't see why not. I didn't have any plans after this job was complete." His rigid stance had relaxed slightly, only slightly, as he cast his gaze to the door. "I will hack the door, keep it barricaded in case any Eclipse decide to head here instead of toward the fighting. It will give your team some time to get to us."

I only nodded in reply and watched him as he walked off toward the door, his movements light, fluid, and graceful. I closed my eyes and shook my head, whoever the female was that would fall sway to that voice was in deep trouble. I, however, was not going to fall trap to that. My kinky attraction to sexy voices stayed with only one alien, thank you very much.

Oh goddess… what a day…

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter I had written. I've been focused on another story I have recently posted here so this one has been on the backburner. Sorry for the lack of updates. I'll pick it up again.


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